The Second Grave
by Caribou Kid
Summary: Old demons come calling and it is time to put them to rest.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Sequel to Old Debts

The Second Grave

By Caribou Kid

Lee Crane, captain of the SSRN Seaview, crown jewel of the Nelson Institute for Marine Research, strolled casually down the passageway of his boat. It was nearing 0100 and he was conducting what had been affectionately dubbed by his crew as a walk-a-boat; that time at the end of his day when he touched base with those crew members who worked the late watch and for all intents and purposes tucked his best girl in for the night before retiring. This was one of his favorite activities as the leisurely stroll allowed him to unwind and to just enjoy being aboard his gray lady.

As he ambled down the passageway the quiet was suddenly shattered by the report of several gunshots coming from the direction of the admiral's cabin. Lee spun on his heel and sprinted down the corridor heading towards his boss' and surrogate father's quarters to render assistance. Nearing the door, he felt his blood run cold as he heard a high pitched, terror-filled scream from behind the door.

Reaching the door he grabbed the knob and flung the door open only to be momentarily frozen by the horror he encountered inside. There on the floor lay the admiral's limp body and atop him was a huge male mandrill. At the sound of the door opening the animal turned its head, its face bathed in the admiral's blood, and slowly drew back its lips baring its 3 inch fangs in what could only be called a sadistic smile. He recognized the animal immediately as the mingehe, a malevolent forest spirit from the African jungle sent to destroy him by a passenger on their last cruise.

Recovering his wits Lee slowly eased his right hand down his side and was only mildly surprised to find a holster and his .45 resting inside. He unsnapped the flap wrapped his hand around the grip and withdrew his weapon. He leveled the gun at the ape waiting for it to move away from the admiral in hopes that it would do him no additional harm.

He mentally cataloged the scene before him as he assessed his options. Resting on top of Nelson's desk was the box the mingehe had been stored in and lying next to it was the small solid gold collar and chain that had been placed around its neck. The admiral's chair had been shoved back against the wall and he was lying on his back off to the side of the desk, his chest bathed in blood, his body motionless.

Staring intently at Crane, the mandrill slowly climbed off the admiral's body to face the true target of its rage and assigned vengeance. As it cleared Nelson it was readily apparent that the admiral was dead, a gaping hole ripped in his throat following the animal's attack. No longer fearing for Harri's safety, Lee cried out in rage and agony, and proceeded to empty the clip in his gun hitting the mandrill all nine times.

Aside from knocking the thing to the floor from the force behind the bullets, they otherwise had no effect as the mandrill roared in anger as it reclaimed its feet. Lee swore vehemently and slowly began backing his way out of the admiral's cabin. The mingehe opened its mouth wide baring its massive fangs and razor sharp teeth and hissed loudly as it watched its quarry edge its way towards the door.

Lee's effort to snag the doorknob and pull the door shut proved the trigger and the mingehe launched itself across the cabin slamming into him and propelling him through the door and into the bulkhead across the passageway with incredible force. Dazed and breathless, his head reeling from the impact, Lee slid limply down the wall to the deck. He fought desperately to pull much needed air into his lungs and fend off the maniacal beast scratching and snapping at his chest and throat. The mingehe effortlessly batted away his attempt to push it off and roared loudly deafening him. It cocked its head to one side, drew back its lips in a malevolent sneer, spread its jaws wide then struck cobra-fast snuffing out his life.

(oo)

Lee shot bolt upright in bed, eyes wide with fear as the sound of his screams echoed across the room. He was bathed in sweat and breathing hard as though he'd just sprinted across an open field through enemy fire. He was physically trembling and he drew a shaking hand through his damp locks. He clamped his eyes shut as he tried to slow his heart and calm his breathing.

After a moment and feeling more in control he opened his eyes to find himself in his own bed in his own bedroom. He let loose a relieved and weary sigh as he realized that it was just another dream and he was safely ensconced in his home. As the trembling subsided he pushed up out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to grab a glass of water. He gulped the water down and returned to his bed sitting tiredly down on the side.

He'd been home a week now and been plagued with these dreams for six of the last seven nights. He looked at the clock and grimaced, it was just approaching 0330. Further composing himself he shoved back up to his feet, grabbed his shorts and t-shirt, and headed down to the kitchen to brew up a pot of coffee. Based on earlier experience he knew there would be no more sleep tonight.

As the coffeemaker transformed the grounds into beverage he stared blankly at the dark rivulet that ran into the pot. He wondered silently when the hell this would all be over and the dreams would fade away. He'd spent the week it took them to reach port in sick bay and then two weeks after that in med bay under Jamie's watchful eyes as he made his slow convalescence. It had only been through constant whining and begging that would have done a 5 year old proud, was he able to connive his way out and home.

Home usually let him regain his center and shed the effects of whatever mission had beaten him down. It wasn't working this time, in fact things had gotten progressively worse. He was dead tired and was to the point of actually considering the pills Jamie had sent home with him to at least give his body a shot at rest. Although the wounds had pretty much healed and all the sutures were gone he still felt weaker than he should and ached constantly further adding to his difficulties sleeping.

When the coffeemaker spit out the last of the brew he pulled out the carafe, grabbed his cup and filled it to the brim with the restorative. He inhaled the aroma deeply then sipped cautiously on the hot beverage sighing in relief as he felt the caffeine make its way into his system. Having polished off half the cup he refilled it then made his way to the kitchen table to sit and try to pull himself together.

Today was the first day he was being allowed back in the office and he'd need a lot of coffee before he headed into work to look as lifelike as possible. If Jamie got even an inkling of his current problems he would have him corralled and back in a bed in less than a heartbeat. He pushed a hand through his hair again feeling somewhat better as the caffeine diffused into his bloodstream beating back the exhaustion fighting hard to consume him.

He finished off the pot and contemplated brewing another as he looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was now nearly 0500 and he decided to get the next pot started while he went upstairs and got ready for work. The earlier he got in the better the chance he had of more fully waking up and putting forward an alert and functional facade.

(oo)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After having spent the week at his beach house entertaining his sister Edith and some of her friends, Harriman Nelson pulled up to the front gate of NIMR at 0530. He had a teleconference with the CNO and the COMSUBPAC at 0600 to discuss a potential mission using Seaview to deploy components of a new Navy long-range monitoring system. Both Navy participants were back east in Washington D.C. so the call was on east coast time. The security guard on duty greeted the admiral and waved him through. Nelson acknowledged him with nod and a quick salute, drove through the gate and up to the admin building to sit in on his call.

Arriving in the parking lot he had to smile as he spotted Lee's bright red Shelby Cobra already parked in the lot. He knew this was Lee's first day back after the horrific run-in with one of their passengers and his diabolic monster the mingehe on their last cruise. Lee's injuries had been significant and it seemed to take longer than usual for him to regain his strength and gain Jamie's okay to return to work. The fact that he was here so early was really no surprise as Lee hated being excluded from work and even worse being banned from his gray lady, Seaview. Harri pulled into his spot next to Lee shut off his car, gathered up his briefcase, and headed for his office.

He quickly entered the front door and made a beeline for his office as he was running a tad late and wanted to have coffee made and a good head start on a cup before he dialed in and spoke with Brunner and Starke. As soon as he walked through his office door he tossed his briefcase onto the conference table, grabbed the coffee carafe and headed to the sink in the wet bar to fill the pot with fresh water. He pulled out the coffee supplies under the cabinet and started the coffeemaker on its critical mission.

The machine was soon processing the grounds into coffee and the welcoming aroma spread throughout Harri's office and down the hallway. As the final spurt of coffee spit out of the maker Harri pulled the carafe out and poured himself a cup. Returning the carafe back to the warming plate he heard a quick double rap on his door and was pleased to see Lee step through, coffee cup in hand.

"Lee! Good to see you back son. What are you doing here so early, or do I really need to ask?" Harri said smiling as he pulled the carafe back out and waited for Lee to present his cup.

"Morning sir," Lee replied, matching Harri's smile and holding out his empty cup for a dash of the lethal looking brew. "You know me, I was too excited to sleep knowing I was allowed back on the grounds for the first time in 4 weeks. Having seen the mountain of paper pinning my desk to the floor, my return was none too soon. What are you doing here at this hour sir?"

Harri laughed. "Well we didn't want you twiddling your thumbs looking for something to do once you got back. I've got an early telecon with Jiggs and the CNO to discuss a little potential work for the Navy. Care to join me?"

"Tempting…but no. I'd only push Admiral Starke's nose out of joint and that's not a good negotiating position to start with. Plus I've got that mountain of paper to climb and need to head on down to the subpen to see my girl," Lee replied with a chuckle.

"So how are you feeling, lad?" Harri asked as he regarded his captain and surrogate son.

"I'm fine sir, just suffering from a bit of cabin fever and anxious to get things back to normal," Lee replied, pasting a smile on his face. He fought hard to beat down a grimace as a spike of pain shot through his shoulder. "So how's Edith and how did your week go?" Lee inquired hoping to redirect the admiral from pushing further on his health.

Harri stared at Lee for a moment getting the distinct feeling he was hiding something. The smile on his face didn't reach his eyes which told a completely different story. Deciding to wait until after his telecon to more fully address his hunch he let Lee steer the conversation away from his least favorite topic. Harri had really wanted Lee to spend a few days with him after being released from med bay just to make sure he wasn't overdoing it. Also because Chip was out of town for the week completing required reserve training and wouldn't be around to insure the same. Once he mentioned Edith's impending visit Lee politely declined Nelson's offer saying he didn't want to intrude. It gave him the perfect excuse to be out from under his _father's_ watchful eyes.

"Edith is fine and sends her regards and well wishes. You were quite definitely missed both by her and especially me. My patience with some of her friends grows short pretty quickly and I would have loved to have had you there to run interference. She sent me out on 'grocery' runs three times to let me cool off and breathe deeply," Harri answered with a self-conscious laugh.

Lee joined in on the laughter knowing full well that Harri's temper could grow short in a New York minute and those on the receiving end of one of his outbursts got a taste of what the flames of hell must be like. Edith, always the peacemaker and consummate diplomat, no doubt worked overtime during the week keeping everyone below a simmer. She had a tough skin and when pushed too far a temper to match her older brother's and had no problems tearing into him when she felt it was needed.

He admired the way she handled Harri and taking a page from her book had developed an asbestos exoskeleton and become nearly immune to the heat. She in fact encouraged him to push back when Harri's intellect and temper overrode his common sense and pull him up short when required. He had had more than his fair share of run-ins with Harri's temper and over time he had developed the skills to fling it back at him and live to fight another day.

"Well apparently it worked and everyone survived without intervention from the police," Lee kidded gaining a good natured snarl from Harri. "I'm going to head on down to the boat to say hello to my gray lady and leave you to Starke and the CNO."

"Coward," Harri taunted back. "Make sure you're back for lunch, there are a few things including this meeting I'd like to go over with you."

"Aye sir. I'll be back before noon," Lee answered as he exited Harri's office to wander down to the subpen.

Harri stared at the empty doorway for a moment after Lee left. Something wasn't right with him, he was far more subdued than he usually was when allowed back at work following an injury or forced vacation. There was an underlying tension and tiredness and he wanted to know the reasons why. As he pondered the best way to broach the subject his phone rang; Jiggs was never late.

(oo)

Lee dropped his coffee cup off in his office then made his way down to the subpen to touch base with his crew and reunite with his gray lady. As he neared the gantry he was greeted by a sea of smiling faces from the crew working on deck.

"Hey Skipper, welcome back," Rodriguez called.

"Great to see you Skipper, we sure missed you," added Patterson.

"Welcome back, sir," Ens Bratt said as he shot Lee a quick salute.

Lee smiled back and returned the salute. "Thanks for the welcome, it's great to be back. How's the boat? Is she back in fine fettle after our run-in with that ape?"

"She's in fighting form and a little bit better," replied Kowalski reaching out to shake Lee's hand as he stepped on board.

"That's great to hear," Lee responded. "So what are you all doing here so early?"

"Just finishing up the last of the repairs and then we're heading out for a couple of day's leave before anything comes up," Patterson answered.

"Well don't let me get in your way," Lee replied, shaking hands with the rest of the crew. "I'm going to head inside and take a little tour of my lady before I'm forced back into the office to face all the paperwork the XO ginned up for me."

"If you find anything that needs work, please let me know sir," Bratt offered.

"Will do Steve, but I'm sure you've all taken great care of my girl," Lee said as he patted him on the shoulder. "Well as you were and I'll see you in a bit." Lee continued to the sail hatch and disappeared inside.

Once inside he slowly descended the ladder into the control room and unlike his usual omission of the last three steps, he climbed down every rung not wanting the pain the landing would cause. Standing in the place he loved best, he felt a wave of calm and contentment wash over him truly relaxing for the first time in weeks. He perused the room and found he had it all to himself. He began a slow tour of each station looking over what work had been done and touching each one as he reacquainted himself with his boat.

Having completed his circuit of the control room Lee decided to head to the engine room and work his way forward. He exited out the aft hatch and walked down the passageway to the ladder. As he prepared to descend he was stopped by another voice welcoming him back.

"Skipper, great to see you sir. Welcome back," Henderson said, rushing forward to greet his CO.

"Hi Jim, great to see you too. How's the arm? How are you feeling?"

"The arm's almost back to 100%. I finished my physical therapy the first part of last week and I'm back on full duty. I'm feeling really good," he replied, smiling. "How about you, sir?"

Lee smiled at Henderson's good news. "That's great to hear. I'm doing pretty well, all things considered. Still a twinge here and there but nothing major. So no other lingering aftereffects?"

"Like what Skipper? The pain's gone and Doc says that eventually even the scars will disappear."

"That's pretty much what I meant. Have you had any problem with dreams?"

"I had a couple nightmares the first week after it bit me but nothing since. Why, are you still having them, sir?"

"I get the occasional nightmare, but it's getting better," Lee lied. "I want to thank you again for taking that thing on, I would have been toast if you hadn't come in when you did."

"That's why they pay me the big bucks sir," Henderson replied, blushing a bit at Crane's comments. "I was glad I was of some help, as little as it was."

"It meant a hell of a lot to me. Well I don't want to keep you, I'm just doing a walk through to get back in touch with the crew and the boat. Talk with you later." Lee answered then resumed his walk to the engine room.

(oo)

It was nearly 1300 by the time Lee had made it all the way around his boat. As he was heading back to the control room he was paged over the intercom.

"Captain Crane, this is Sharkey."

"Crane here, what is it Chief?"

"Uh sir, your presence is requested in the admin building. Something about lunch with the admiral."

Lee laughed out loud. "Please tell the admiral I'm on my way. I should be there in 15 minutes or less."

"Will do Skipper. Sharkey out."

Lee quickened his pace to the control room and walked directly to the ladder and climbed up and out. As he stepped through the sail hatch he sighed feeling almost at ease and content for the first time since everything went to hell. He saluted the colors then made his way across the gantry and headed up the hill for his lunch date.

(oo)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Harri and Lee had a leisurely lunch in the admiral's office and discussed NIMR business such as the repairs to Seaview following the last cruise, potential research projects and what would be required of the boat and crew, and the CNO's request for their help in deploying detection sensors in the Arctic. As the business topics drew down Harri finally broached the subject he was really most interested in, Lee's health and wellbeing.

"So son, how are you feeling, really?" Harri asked.

"I'm fine sir," Lee replied. Seeing the doubt in Harri's eyes he quickly amended his response. "I'm still a bit sore but that's to be expected."

"You sure that's all it is? I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me. You look tired lad and coming off four weeks of sick leave I would think you would be a little more rested." Harri stated.

"Yes sir, that's all it is. I've been purposely weaning myself off of Jamie's concoctions and a couple of nights have been a little long. Nothing to worry about, I'm feeling good and being back at work and on Seaview is just the tonic I need," Lee answered hoping that he was being convincing. Last thing he needed or wanted now was to be put back on the beach and banned from the things that relaxed him most.

Harri continued to stare at his captain, sure that there was more going on than he was admitting to, but decided to back off for the moment and let Lee get his life more back to normal before he really pushed the issue. If he didn't see an improvement in a day or so he'd raise the subject again and if need be sic Jamie on him.

"Okay, I guess you know best. Just don't overdo, that mountain of paperwork isn't going to finish itself," Harri replied hoping to ease the sudden tension between them.

Lee laughed and nodded in agreement. "Will do sir. Though that's why I have an exec isn't it? To foist unwanted paperwork on?"

"I'm going to tell Chip you said that." Harri teased back.

"Tell me what?" a voice inquired through Nelson's open door.

"Nothing of importance," Lee replied and smiled at his XO and best friend Chip Morton as he entered the admiral's office.

"Chip, welcome back. I thought you weren't due in until tomorrow," Nelson remarked.

"Training got out early and I was able to get a flight out of Norfolk this morning," Chip responded. "Good to see you up and around Lee. Looks like you survived a week all on your own."

"Yes mother I did just fine all by myself," Lee replied rolling his eyes. "How was your training?"

"Fine, nothing I didn't already know. So how you feeling Lee?"

Lee sighed and shook his head. "I'm fine! I'm just happy to be back at work and back to my boat," he replied a bit tersely.

"Okay, okay, don't get all snippy," Chip answered chuckling. "Just asking; just being polite. It's not that I really care or anything."

"Sorry Chip," Lee apologized. "I just get tired of the same questions all the time."

"No problem bro, I understand. You better get used to it though, that's going to be the topic of conversation until everyone has seen you," Chip responded with a grin and patted Lee on the back.

"I'm glad you're back early Chip, I have a meeting scheduled with the department heads to discuss some upcoming missions in 30 minutes. Go get settled in and join us," Nelson interjected.

"Yes sir. I'll go dump my stuff in my office and be back in a few," Chip replied and turned to leave.

"I'll make sure you don't get lost," Lee said as he clapped his brother on the shoulder and followed him out the door.

(oo)

The meeting was running longer than Nelson had anticipated so after 90 minutes he suggested they all take a break. Everyone readily agreed and dispersed to hit the head or refill their coffee cups. Lee was finding the day very taxing after next to zero sleep for the last week, running around all over on Seaview that morning, and then sitting through the last hour and a half hashing out the particulars of the next missions. He made his way over to the coffee pot and refilled his cup; even for him his coffee consumption was noticeably high. He walked back over to the windows overlooking the subpen and stood there taking in the view sipping on his coffee.

As Chip reentered Nelson's office after using the facilities, Harri waived him over to go over a couple of issues on a project they had been working on. Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a coffee cup shattering on the floor. They both looked in the direction of the noise and saw Lee staring somewhat dumbfounded at the remains of the cup on the floor and then at his trembling hand as he slowly opened and closed it trying to make a fist.

"Lee, son, are you all right?" Harri asked, immediately concerned with his behavior.

Lee looked up from his hand and seemed to have difficulty focusing on Chip and Harri. He opened his mouth to respond but collapsed before anything came out.

"Chip get Jamieson up here now!" Harri called out as he rushed to Lee's side.

"I'm on it," Chip replied and snatched up the phone on Harri's desk.

"Lee, Lee can you hear me son?" Harri asked as he placed a hand on Lee's cheek. His skin was hot and dry and his breathing rapid and shallow. Harri patted his cheek trying to wake him up but that only elicited a weak moan.

In the meantime Chip had grabbed a couple of pillows from Nelson's sofa and a blanket from Harri's closet. He lifted Lee's feet and slipped the pillows beneath his heels then gently spread the blanket over him. Jamie came barreling through the door a mere five minutes following Chip's call along with two of the corpsmen and a stretcher from med bay. He moved immediately to Lee's side and began his assessment.

"What happened?" he asked after measuring Lee's heart and respiration rates.

"He was just standing there looking out the window when we heard his cup hit the floor and when we looked over at him he seemed out of it. He was staring somewhat surprised at the cup on the floor and then at his trembling hand as he kept opening and closing it. When I asked him if he was all right he looked up at us and seemed to be having problems focusing. It looked like he was about to answer when he just went out like a light," Harri answered. "What's wrong with him, Jamie?"

"Feels like he's running a fever, his heart is racing as is his respiration. Did you notice anything else about his behavior before this happened?" Jamie inquired.

"We had just finished lunch, which he ate. He seemed fine throughout that. When I got here at 0530 he was already in the office, he looked tired and I asked him about it. He said he'd been cutting back on his meds and that he just had a couple of long nights. He did seem to be drinking a lot of coffee, even for him probably because he hadn't been sleeping well," Harri responded.

"Tom, Mark get him ready for transport and down to med bay stat," Jamie ordered. The corpsmen nodded acknowledging the doctor's order and quickly set to securing the captain on the stretcher.

"Is he going to be okay?" Chip asked.

"I need to figure out what's wrong with him before I can answer that one, Chip. I'll give you a call once I get things sorted out," Jamie replied over his shoulder as he followed the corpsmen out of Nelson's office.

(oo)

Nelson and Morton had relocated to the med bay waiting room following Jamie's exit. That had been nearly four hours ago and the stress and worry over their friend's condition was growing greater with each passing minute. There had been no report from Jamieson as they watched numerous nurses and corpsmen come and go from the exam room carrying various samples to be analyzed. Finally Jamieson emerged from the room, ran a tired hand through his hair then walked over to the concerned men assembled in the waiting room.

"Well Jamie how is he? What happened?" Nelson asked urgently.

"He's resting comfortably right now, in fact he's sleeping. He came to about 2 hours ago and let me know that he'd been having trouble sleeping and was experiencing considerable pain from his injuries. He also told me that the last thing he remembered was he had lost all feeling and control in his right hand, which is why he dropped the cup. After chewing him out for not reporting the problems sleeping and the pain to me, I gave him a mild sedative to relax him and to let him get some sleep," Jamie started.

"Based on all the analyses we've done here in house, it appears he's been exposed to some type of neurotoxin that is starting to interfere with his neurological system. He's experiencing cytotoxic effects similar to those from a bite from a poisonous snake or spider. To date the only symptom he hasn't presented is necrosis of the flesh at the point of entry," Jamieson explained. "We've been all over him looking for any indication that he's been bitten by something but there's nothing there. I'm hard pressed to explain how this is happening. Right now we're providing general treatment for the symptoms but without knowing exactly what the venom is there's no antivenin I can administer."

"So what now?" Chip inquired.

"Sit and wait for the moment. I've got samples en route to a number of labs here and across the country to try and track down what's in his bloodstream. All we can do right now is make him comfortable."

"Can we see him?" Harri asked.

"Sure, but as I said he's sleeping so don't wake him up. Aside from the effects of whatever toxin is assaulting his system he's bordering on exhaustion. My guess is he really hasn't slept in nearly a week given what I've observed," Jamie replied. "Come on, I'm hoping your presence will help him relax and get the rest he needs."

Harri and Chip followed Jamie into Lee's room in med bay and had to smile finding chairs already positioned to accommodate the worried men. The lights were dimmed and the blinds drawn so as not to disturb the sleeping man. He had an IV in one arm feeding him fluids and nutrients and probably a little something extra to keep him down.

"Well gentlemen I'll let you settle in here for a bit. He's pretty well sedated so he shouldn't wake up for at least 12 hours, but then again this is Lee. I'm sure hearing your voices will help him relax and know he's safe so it will be okay if you talk quietly. I'm going to start digging through my books and medical journals to see if I can come up with a solution for this. I'll see you in an hour or so. If anything comes up just alert the nurse and she'll come get me."

"Will do Jamie. Thanks," Harri replied as he settled himself in the chair closest to Lee. Chip grabbed the other chair and moved it closer to Nelson so they could talk without waking Lee.

"Damn it," Harri swore quietly. "I knew he looked tired and probably shouldn't have been back at work. I was going to give him a day at work to see if that helped him get on track before I confronted him about it. That will teach me."

"Don't blame yourself, Admiral, this is Lee we're talking about. I don't think the man has ever given an honest answer about how he's feeling. It's just not in him to admit to being anything less than healthy and strong. There's not much we can do about it until he pulls some stunt like this," Chip replied. "You know that as well as I do. I think it's a physical impossibility to knock some sense into that curly head regarding this issue."

"Yes, well that's true but it's still no consolation when he's lying there in bed unconscious from whatever malady he's chosen to ignore. I should have just ratted him out the second I suspected he wasn't feeling well," Harri answered miserably.

Chip nodded in full agreement having been through similar episodes himself with his number one worry. "Would you like something to drink sir?"

"I would kill for a scotch but since this is not the time nor place I'll take a cup of coffee if you're making a run."

"Sure thing, sir. I'll bring us some dinner as well. I think it's going to be a long night."

Harri nodded in grim agreement. Chip got up from his chair and headed down to the cafeteria to get them both something. After he left Harri gently placed his hand on Lee's arm and patted it reassuringly.

"I'm here with you son, you're not alone," Harri said quietly in his ear.

(oo)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

He looked down at his watch and noticed that it was getting late, it was nearly 0030. He was tired but too wound up to head to bed straight away; a nice amble through the boat would calm his mind and help him relax so he could drop off to sleep when he finally climbed between the sheets. He headed down the passageway from his quarters relishing the feeling of contentment as he _communed_ with his sub, a slight smile on his lips.

As he moved through the boat he gradually became aware that things were somehow not right. He stopped in the middle of the passageway and listened intently. He picked up on it immediately, the reassuring, pulsing thrum of the boat's powerful engines was absent. An eerie silence now consumed the space around him. His ears nearly ached from straining to hear any sound that was out there. He moved quickly to the nearest mic and snatched it up from its cradle.

"Control room, this is Crane." Lee waited impatiently for a response to his page. Nearly a minute passed and no one responded. "Control room, this is the captain, report! … Admiral, this is Crane, please respond… Morton this is Crane, respond…. If anyone is aboard respond!"

Each hail resulted in only silence and with that lack of response his degree of discomfort and concern with the current situation ratcheted into high gear. He shipped the mic then turned and began making his way forward to the control room to try and get a handle on what was happening. As he walked quickly down the corridor the only sound was the click of his leather oxfords against the deck. Reaching the ladder to descend into the control room he stopped and listened for a moment for any sound that anyone else was aboard.

As he strained to pick up any indication of movement he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a soft snort and muffled shuffle. "Who's there?" he called out. Again he was greeted with silence. He waited a moment and then heard the shuffle again accompanied by what sounded like claws clicking on the deck plates. Lee inhaled deeply shoring up his courage and beating down the fear at what he might find and crept stealthily towards the sound.

Moving silently towards the corner he cautiously peeked around it and was greeted by the nightmareish sight of a full grown male mandrill. The animal looked up at him and seemingly smiled maliciously having found the prey it was after. It opened its mouth wide, hissing as it did, and displayed its imposing 3 inch fangs.

Lee froze momentarily as he regarded the beast then slowly slid his right hand down to his hip to find his holster and .45. He gripped the handle and pulled it slowly out so as not to spark the animal's attention. He carefully began backing away from the mingehe putting as much distance between it and him as possible. As he backed away the mandrill moved slowly towards him like a predator taunting its prey before the attack. Its beady golden eyes were fixed on its quarry and occasionally sniffed the air relishing the scent of fear and desperation wafting over the artificial breeze.

Having made it midway down the corridor Lee watched as the animal stalked him and came to the realization it was ready to strike. He raised his weapon and rapidly fired 9 shots, all finding their mark knocking the thing off its feet and eliciting a ferocious roar of rage. It sprang to its feet unaffected by the bullets, then bolted down the corridor towards Lee slamming into him hard. They both fell to the floor knocking the wind out of Lee as his back met the deck and the ape landed on his chest. The thing roared again, its eyes glazed with a crazed bloodlust as it looked down at its intended victim, foul drool dripping onto Lee's face as its fetid breath washed over him.

Lee having regained some of his wind struck out desperately at the hulk pinning him to the deck. His punches bounced off pathetically, his efforts to unseat the thing from his chest were no more effective than an infant batting at a grizzly bear.

The mandrill sneered in derision at Lee's feeble attempts to save his life. It slowly opened its mouth giving its victim a full glimpse of its horrific teeth. Pinning Lee's arms to the deck it lowered its head going directly for his unguarded throat. As Lee began to scream in pain and terror he was brutally silenced as its jaws snapped shut.

(oo)

Lee's terrified cries had Harri and Chip on their feet instantly as they tried to wake their friend from the nightmare that apparently held him hostage. Lee was trembling badly, his pajama shirt soaked in sweat and his breath coming in ragged gasps as he tried to flee whatever was tormenting him in his dream.

"Lee! Lee! Can you hear me son? Lee wake up it's just a dream. Please wake up," Harri pleaded as he tried to calm his captain and son.

"Come on Lee wake up! It's only a dream, you're safe. We're here with you," Chip implored, shaking him harder.

His screams having carried beyond the door had Jamieson barreling down the hallway into Lee's room. "What the hell's going on?!" Jamieson inquired as he elbowed his way next to his frantic patient.

"I think he's having a nightmare. His sleep started becoming restless then all of a sudden he let loose this bloodcurdling cry," Harri related as he stepped back allowing Jamie to assess Lee's condition.

As Jamie peeled back one of Lee's eyelids to check his pupil, he suddenly came to and brought his hands up forcibly shoving Jamieson back and onto the floor. There was a wild look of terror in his eyes as he tried desperately to figure out where he was and where _it_ had gone. He jumped up out of bed tearing the IV out of his arm and started making his way to the door. Chip was there first and grabbed him, pinning him against the wall triggering a vicious struggle on Lee's part to try and break free.

"Lee, Lee wake up! Come on bro, wake up it's all a dream," Chip said trying to calm the terrified man and to avoid becoming a victim of Lee's advanced self-defense training. "Lee listen to me, it's Chip. Just focus on my voice, come on."

Lee continued to struggle fighting hard to break free of what was pinning him down. Intense fear over what lived in his dream still had sway and nothing was making it past that wall.

"Captain! That's enough! Stand down immediately, that's an order!" Nelson bellowed hoping the lifelong training and discipline would trump whatever was haunting his son.

Whether it was the tone or the voice, Lee wasn't quite sure, but suddenly he found himself calming down as he struggled to comply with the order he'd just received. As he began to relax he felt hands gently grab him before he crumpled to the floor. He felt strong arms wrap around him making him feel safe as he slowly fought his way back to reality.

"Admiral? Chip? What happened? What am I doing here?" Lee asked obviously confused as he began taking in his surroundings and for the first time processing them. Chip gave him a comforting squeeze letting him know everything was okay. Harri reached up and gently patted him on the face and slipped his hand behind his head and cupped it reassuringly.

"It's all right now son, you're safe. Whatever demons that were after you, they're gone," Harri replied trying to comfort the confused and dazed young man.

"Chip, help Lee back over to the bed, I need to put a stop to the bleeding from his arm and he definitely needs to lay down and relax," Will ordered from across the room as he dusted himself off.

"Okay Lee I want you to just lay back and relax, breathe deeply and evenly," Jamie ordered as he applied some gauze and a piece of med tape to his arm. He then took up Lee's wrist and began measuring his pulse all the while watching him intently for any signs of neurological distress.

Lee laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes breathing deeply trying to rein in the fear that had him dreading the night. He took numerous deep breaths as he attempted to find his inner calm and reestablish what shreds of dignity he had remaining.

"Can you remember what happened Lee?" Jamie finally asked after completing his exam.

Lee swallowed hard steeling his resolve and steadying his voice to relate what had been tormenting him once he closed his eyes for the night. "It was just a dream. I'm sorry that I disturbed you."

"What was the dream about?" inquired Harri. "Can you remember it?"

"Ye…yes sir. They're all basically the same. The only variable is whether it's just me or if someone else is part of it. It always ends the same. There's always pain and terror and death."

"Tell us about it son," Harri urged, truly concerned at the fear he still observed in his captain's eyes.

"They always take place on Seaview. Sometimes you're in it or Chip or Jamie or one of the crew, otherwise it's just me. I start my evening walk through the boat and then something happens to draw my attention. When I finally track down the source it turns out to be the mingehe and if someone else is in the dream, they're already dead. I pull my gun and empty the clip into it and it does absolutely no good. It springs back to its feet and charges me, pins me to the floor then tears out my throat." Lee finished with a shudder.

"How long have you been having the dreams Lee?" Jamie asked.

"I had them off and on in sick bay and med bay, but they got really bad when I came home starting my second night. I would wake up screaming like a child, drenched in sweat and unable or unwilling to go back to sleep. They're just so bloody real," Lee answered as he averted his eyes.

"I wish you had said something sooner, Lee," Jamie replied. "I might have been able to give you something to make you sleep and I could have arranged for you to talk to someone about the dreams."

"I don't think there's a drug powerful enough to quell these dreams, Jamie," Lee replied miserably. "Knocking me out would only keep me under and allow them to return again and again. At least when I wake up they stop. I honestly don't think talking to a shrink about them would be of value either. There's something different about these, like that damn thing is forcing its way into my mind and trying to scare me to death since it didn't succeed in doing me in outright."

The three men exchanged surprised and concerned looks as they processed what Lee had said. No wonder he looked like death warmed over.

"What about Henderson? Is he having any problems with recurring nightmares?" Chip asked.

"I asked him about it this morning when I ran into him on Seaview. He said he was feeling great and although he had had a couple of dreams right after it happened they hadn't come back," Lee answered.

"Hmmm. Well maybe it's because his injuries weren't as severe as Lee's," postulated Jamie. "He wasn't attacked multiple times and traumatized as much by the experience."

"Could be," replied Harri as he pondered all the implications of what had been revealed. "What about the pain Lee's experiencing? Is Jim also foregoing that?"

"Jim's 100% now," Jamie answered. "He completed his rehab last week and has full use of his arm. He's reported no problems with residual pain. Again I think that goes back to the severity of the wounds Lee received compared to Jim's. It would have been nice to know you were having problems," Jamie finished as he glowered at Lee.

Lee just stared at him unrepentant wondering if he was really that dense. They all knew if Lee had reported any of those problems Jamie would have slapped him back in bed immediately until things were resolved to his satisfaction regardless of Lee's feelings or desires.

Breaking the awkward silence, Chip spoke up. "So why do you think the dreams became so bad after you got home, Lee?"

"Probably because I actually relax and sleep when I'm home. I don't when I'm in the hospital or sick bay; I'm too tense and hate the lack of privacy. I'm always counting the minutes before I can go home," Lee offered as a possible explanation. Will's face began to cloud as he considered Lee's response.

"Now don't get upset with Lee, Jamie. I react exactly the same way when I'm locked up here, and I suspect Chip does also," Nelson interjected. Chip nodded in vigorous agreement.

"Well be that as it may, you're in desperate need of sleep now Lee. I'm going to give you something fairly strong to give you at least a chance to catch up on your rest," Jamieson replied.

"Please Jamie, don't. As much as I hate to admit it I actually slept better in med bay because I was on edge. I don't think I really got deep enough to dream so at least my body recouped a bit. You put me under I may not be able to escape what comes calling," Lee pleaded, a hint of desperation and fear tinged his words.

"All right, I'll let you go for now, but you have to promise to at least try to sleep and definitely rest. No talking, just lay back and relax."

"I will, thank you," Lee replied and sighed in relief.

"I'll hold you to that. Harri, Chip let's step outside for a bit and give Lee a chance to relax and hopefully drop off," Jamie said as he moved to the door and opened it inviting them out.

"Okay Jamie," Harri replied. "Just relax son and try to behave." Lee smiled, nodded and closed his eyes.

"If you need anything I'll be just outside," added Chip. Lee nodded again then blew out a sigh and tried to find a comfortable position in bed.

(oo)

Now out of Lee's room, Jamieson herded the other two men down the hall towards his office so they could discuss in private what they had learned. Once they entered Jamie offered them a cup of coffee which both Harri and Chip declined. They all quickly claimed chairs sat down and stared at each other in silence for a moment thinking over what had just occurred.

"Well Will what do you think?" Harri finally asked.

"I'm not sure what I think at this point Harri. I wish he would be more forthcoming when he's having problems and not wait until the point he's ready to collapse from them. I find the dreams he described very disconcerting; that's a huge road block for him having any chance of getting any restorative sleep."

"I find it odd that Henderson isn't reporting any of the symptoms Lee is complaining of, given they both were bitten at the same time by the same… _thing_ ," Chip added. Both Harri and Jamie nodded in agreement with Chip's observation.

"I'm hoping it's as simple as the degree of the injuries they each suffered as opposed to anything else," Jamie added. "If there's a toxin involved it realistically should be affecting them both."

"When do you expect the results from your sample analyses?" Nelson inquired.

"I should start getting results back early tomorrow morning from the local labs. It's going to be a day or more for the ones I sent to the CDC and other labs back east. As of right now he's not in immediate danger from the toxin, it's progressing very slowly through his system."

"Damn," Harri swore as he pounded his fists on the chair arms. "Nothing's ever easy with him. The frustrating part is that he had no hand in this whatsoever. I just hope Amherst is rotting in hell for bringing this down on him." Both Chip and Will nodded in complete agreement.

Harri pushed up from his seat and began pacing around Will's office. "I'm going back to his room and will sit with him tonight. If I think he's going into a dream I can wake him before things get too far along."

"I'll help out on that too Admiral. How about you take the first watch and I'll relieve you around 0300 that way you don't run down your batteries as well," added Chip.

"I think that is an excellent idea gentlemen. Maybe if he knows someone he trusts is keeping watch he'll be better able to relax and may be able to keep the dreams at bay," Jamie agreed.

(oo)


	5. Chapter 5

It was shortly after 0800 when Harri returned to Lee's room at med bay. When he walked through the door Chip was still there watching as Jamie checked over Lee's vitals. Not truly surrendering to sleep Lee had managed to get some rest and make it through the night with no further dreams. Lee smiled at Harri and then grimaced as Jamie drew another blood sample for additional analysis.

"Morning Lee, gentlemen," Harri said as he entered.

"Morning sir," Lee replied. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine, and that's the question I should be asking you."

"I feel a lot better, I think I did get a little sleep last night. At least after the dream."

"How's he doing Jamie?" Harri inquired.

"I'm just finding that out," Jamie replied with a smile. "Lee, have you been experiencing any more numbness or trembling in your extremities or other odd sensations?"

Lee opened and closed his hands rapidly then wiggled his toes and rolled his legs back and forth. "Not right now Jamie, everything seems to be working correctly. Can I get out of here now?"

Chip and Harri snickered as Jamie scowled at his patient. " _ **No**_ you cannot get out of here now. I want all the results from your bloodwork before I even consider letting you out of my control."

Lee's expression took on the look of a kid just having his balloon popped. "Don't pout Lee," Harri responded with a chuckle. "You scared the hell out of us yesterday with that fainting act and then your nightmare. Something's going on with you right now and we all want to know what that is before you go on your merry way."

"Aye sir," Lee answered dejectedly.

As Will completed the label for the blood sample he had drawn, the door to Lee's room opened and a nurse entered carrying a print out. "Doctor this just came in from UCLA," she said as she handed the paper to Jamieson.

"Thanks Marge. Here, would you take this to the lab and get them started on the analysis?" Will replied as he handed her the vial of blood.

"Right away, Doctor," she responded then headed back out the door.

Jamie immediately began reviewing the lab results and the more he read the more he furrowed his brow and frowned. He looked up at Lee then back down at the paper. He cocked his head to one side trying desperately to figure out how the hell Lee could have come into contact with the toxins identified by the UCLA lab.

"Well don't keep us all in suspense, Jamie, what does it say?" Nelson finally asked tired of trying to figure out Will's expression. Chip's and Lee's faces also clearly conveyed the same question.

"According to their analysis, the captain here should already be dead. There are two distinct compounds in his bloodstream that are both lethal in minute amounts. The first is anatoxin-a, which is a powerful neurotoxin probably explaining why he lost control and feeling in his hand. The second is an alkaloid based compound most likely derived from the strophanthus family of plants which attacks the heart. Where he picked up that cocktail of compounds I have no idea," Jamie explained.

"What are the effects of these toxins?" Harri asked, his concern immediately apparent.

"Well the anatoxin-a is a byproduct of a number of cyanobacteria and can cause loss of coordination, muscular fasciculations or muscle tremors, and convulsions and death by respiratory paralysis. The other attacks the heart leading to heart failure."

"How would these have been introduced into my body?" Lee asked.

"The only way I can think of is when the mandrill attacked you. When we first brought you in yesterday we checked you over very carefully for any signs of bites or puncture wounds and came up empty," Jamie offered.

"What about Henderson, shouldn't he be experiencing the same symptoms? He was bitten at the same time as Lee," Chip inquired.

"Good question Chip," Jamie answered as he turned around and picked up the phone. "Marge, track down Jim Henderson and get him in here immediately. We need to collect some blood samples from him and have them analyzed for the same compounds found in Captain Crane's blood….Thank you, let me know when he comes in."

"What about the mingehe itself? Do you think we should take some wipe samples from it to see if there is any indication of those compounds on it?" Harri asked.

"I don't think we'd lose anything by running a swab over the thing," Jamie replied.

"Come with me Chip, let's go take a look at that thing. I've got it over in the safe in my office. We'll be back as quickly as possible." As Harri and Chip were heading to the door, Harri's phone rang.

"Nelson here…. Hello Kevin, nice to hear from you again. What can I do for you? ...Say that again…Kevin I'm going to put you on speaker and I'd like you to repeat what you just said. I'm here with Captain Crane, Commander Morton and Doctor Jamieson and we've just been discussing the same subject….Okay hold on just a second." Harri hit the button on his phone to share the conversation with the other men in the room. "I've got Kevin Blanchard on the line, over at UCLA. Okay Kevin go ahead and please repeat what you told me."

"Morning gentlemen. As I was telling Harri, I was down in the lab when your samples arrived for analysis. Both of those compounds they found in the captain's blood have origins in the region of Africa where we were conducting our research. The anatoxin-a is found in a number of the areas we visited and the alkaloid compound is from the strophanthus congoensis, a plant used by the Baka tribe to create a poison they call onaye used to tip their hunting arrows and spears," Kevin relayed. "I'd say that Captain Crane was somehow exposed to those compounds through the injuries he sustained from the mingehe. I'm surprised that he isn't more incapacitated than he is given the concentrations in his blood. Have you checked on the other man bitten by the mandrill?"

"We were just discussing that very possibility before you called. I was on my way to my office to take some samples from the mingehe and we're trying to track down Henderson right now," Harri replied.

"If you wouldn't mind Harri I'd like to come over and help you with this problem. I've studied both of these compounds a great deal especially the onaye which has potential use in cancer therapy."

"Your assistance would be very welcome," Harri answered getting a confirming nod from Jamie. "I'll leave your name at the front gate and they'll direct you to the med bay when you get here. Thanks for your help Kevin, we all appreciate it."

"No thanks needed Harri, I'm happy to help out. I'll see you in a few hours. Bye."

Harri hit the button ending the call. "Well that seems to answer a number of questions. I'm wondering though why it has taken so long for these toxins to appear in Lee's bloodstream?"

"That is another excellent question, Harri. As I said both of these compounds are extremely toxic and Lee actually should be dead given the amount floating around in his veins. If the source is the mingehe, there has to be something that's triggered the release," Jamie stated.

"Come on Chip let's go grab those samples so hopefully we can confirm the source of the poisons and get one step closer to a treatment for Lee."

"Right behind you sir. See you in a bit Lee and don't give Jamie too much grief."

Lee acted as though he'd been affronted by Chip's remark and projected his most innocent " _Who me?_ " look at the men in the room. Everyone broke out laughing as they exited on their various errands.

(oo)

Harri and Chip quickly made their way to the admin building and up to the admiral's office. As they entered the reception area they were greeted by Nelson's admin assistant.

"Good morning Admiral, Chip," Angie said as they entered. "How's Lee doing today?"

"He's doing better than yesterday but he's still not 100%," Nelson replied. "Don't worry, Jamie's got things well under control and is keeping Lee on a very short leash." Angie smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. "Angie please call the front gate and notify them to expect Dr. Kevin Blanchard. Once he has arrived have them escort him to med bay and put him in touch with Dr. Jamieson."

"Yes sir," Angie replied and moved quickly to pick up the phone to contact security.

Harri and Chip continued on into his office. As Nelson walked to his safe, Chip grabbed the coffee pot and began making a batch. Harri spun the lock dial four times then began entering the combination, once done he pushed down the handle and pulled open the door. Inside on the bottom shelf was the small wooden box they had found on Seaview amongst Amherst's effects. The box was still tightly secured by the duct tape Harri had applied after he had returned the mingehe to its home.

He picked up the box and moved to the conference table in the middle of his office and placed it carefully on the tabletop. He walked over to his desk and pulled out a spare sample kit he happened to have in one of his desk drawers along with a small pocket knife he used to open packages from time to time.

The coffee made, Chip poured two cups and joined the admiral at the table. He looked down at the box, still taped shut and unopened since the admiral had sealed it on Seaview a little over 4 weeks ago. He handed a cup to the admiral and took a deep draught out of his as he continued to stare at the box.

Harri accepted the cup of coffee from Chip and likewise took a large swig of the robust brew. He too stared at the box almost afraid to open it and see the thing inside that almost ended his son's life. After a moment he set his cup down, steadied his nerves, picked up the knife and unfolded the longest blade.

"Well I suppose there's no point in putting this off," Nelson said as he quickly sliced through the tape at both locations were it crossed the seam between box and lid. He put the knife down then slowly lifted the lid finding the mingehe just as he had left it. He reached over and grabbed the sample kit and snapped open the protective cover over the swab and slid it back revealing the sterile cotton inside. He picked up the box in his left hand then gently began rubbing the swab over the various parts of the miniature ape inside. As he moved up to the face the doll's eyelids suddenly snapped open fixing him with its beady golden eyes.

"Shit!" Harri exclaimed startled by the sudden motion in the box. It took all his considerable control to not drop the box and bolt for the door.

"What sir?"

"Its eyes just opened," Harri replied, his own eyes wide and his hand perceptively shaking as he stared warily at the thing in the box.

"What?! That's not possible, is it?" Chip replied as he moved to the admiral's side to look inside.

Harri quickly placed the box back on the table and picked up the lid ready to slam it down. As he and Chip regarded the mingehe inside it shifted its position slightly as if trying to get comfortable after having been trapped in one position too long.

"What the hell?" Chip remarked, his eyes now the size of dinner plates.

Acting quickly Harri slammed the lid back on the box and grabbed Chip's hand and placed it on top to prevent the thing from pushing its way out. He pulled the protective cap back over the sample he had taken and dropped it on the conference table. He next returned to his desk and began rifling through the drawers until he found what he was after, a large roll of duct tape. He hurried back to Chip as he tore off a long strip of tape. Chip gingerly picked up the box and held it up as the admiral bound it shut with several layers of tape then took the box, returned it to his safe and slammed the door shut rotating the dial numerous times.

Still somewhat shaken from the experience Chip looked up at the admiral. "That thing's still alive?!" he asked incredulously.

"So it would seem," replied Nelson as he too tried to quiet his nerves after that unexpected surprise. "I would say that answers my question about whether it still needs to kill Lee even though Amherst is dead. I also think that explains a lot of Lee's problems."

"Well what do we do now?" inquired Chip. "Do we destroy it or just leave it in that box sealed in a vault somewhere until Lee dies of old age?"

"I think we need to talk with Kevin Blanchard and get as much information as we can from him regarding the people responsible for making that _thing_ and how we can safely get rid of it without injuring Lee," Harri replied as he took a large swig of his coffee further calming his nerves. "Come on Chip we need to get this sample to Jamie and then meet up with Kevin when he arrives."

"Aye sir," Chip answered as he downed the last of his coffee and stared warily at the admiral's sealed safe.

(oo)

"All right Jim, you're looking great. If you run into any strange symptoms or start feeling odd let me know immediately," Jamieson said as he released Henderson to return to work. Once the crewman had shown up at med bay Jamie had drawn blood and conducted an extensive exam to ensure that he was not exhibiting any of the signs and symptoms Lee had.

"Will do Doc. If there's anything you or the skipper need just let me know. You know I'm more than happy to help out anyway I can," Henderson replied then turned and headed down the hallway and back to work. As he was leaving Nelson and Morton entered through the side door at the far end of the hall and made a beeline for Jamieson.

"Was that Henderson?" Nelson asked as he neared the doctor.

"Yes," Jamie replied. "He showing no signs of any of the symptoms Lee's presenting. He says he's not experienced any dreams beyond the first couple of days following the attack and he's back to working out in the gym at full intensity with no hint of weakness or lack of muscle control. I took blood samples and sent them off to the lab, but I'm pretty certain they'll come back clean."

"That's great to hear," Chip replied. "One less thing to worry about."

"Agreed,"answered Jamie. "Did you get the sample from the mingehe?"

"Oh yes, and a whole lot more," Harri replied shuddering slightly as he handed the swab to Jamieson.

Jamie looked at him confused by his response. "What do you mean?"

"That _thing_ is still animated," Harri answered. "After I opened the box and began swabbing the doll, its eyes suddenly snapped open and then it shifted its position slightly inside the box. I was so startled I damn near threw the thing across the office and ran out the door."

"You're kidding?" Jamie asked incredulously.

"I wish he were," replied Chip. "I saw the eyes and then watched it wiggle around in that box. Scared the crap out of me."

"I slapped the lid on as quickly as I could, taped it shut again and threw it back into my safe," Harri finished. "I think we've just found the source of Lee's problems. Hopefully once Kevin gets here we can confirm that and begin formulating a response."

"Should we tell Lee what we found?" Chip inquired.

The three men stood quietly for a moment considering the question Chip had just voiced. Each quickly weighed the pros and cons of sharing that information with their friend and how that might impact his condition.

"I don't think we can keep that from him," Nelson replied first. "I think he should be fully aware of what has potentially fatal implications to him."

"I'm not sure that would be the best thing to do given his inability to rest and sleep," Jamie countered. "I don't need him any more keyed up than he already is."

"I'm with the admiral," Chip piped in. "If it were me, I would want to know what's out there so I could prepare to deal with whatever might be coming after me. I don't even want to contemplate how pissed he'd be if he found out we were hiding things from him. Lee always does much better when he knows what's out there and what to expect."

After taking a moment to consider the other men's arguments Jamie began to nod in agreement. "I suppose you're right, it would give him a better chance to prepare and hopefully fight what's affecting him. I know you're definitely right about his temper, if he finds out I was the one responsible for keeping this from him," Jamie replied with a bit of a sheepish smile. "My hide's tough but not that tough."

The decision made they prepared to enter Lee's room to break the bad news to him. As they started to move they were hailed by Darren Fox, head of security, as he escorted Kevin Blanchard down the hall towards them.

"Admiral Nelson," Darren called. "Sir, I have Dr. Blanchard here for you."

"Kevin! You made great time, you must have been flying low." Nelson said as he greeted his guest. "Thank you Darren, I'll take charge of him now." Fox nodded and headed back down the hallway.

"Harri, Chip, Jamie, good to see you all," Kevin replied as he shook hands with each man. "Well given the toxins in Lee's blood, delay in getting to an antidote really isn't an option. Traffic was light as was the presence of the highway patrol. How's Lee doing?"

"Given what's floating around in his bloodstream surprisingly well," Jamie replied. "We were just going into to his room to give him an update on what we've found. I'm sure he and you will both be surprised."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really. It's quite disturbing and I'm hoping you can provide some badly needed information to address what we've found," Nelson added. "Come on let's go in and lay all our cards on the table."

(oo)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The four men entered the room and observed Lee resting in bed, eyes closed and breathing deeply. At the sound of the door Lee opened his eyes and smiled at the return of his friends.

"Kevin, good to see you again," Lee said as he watched the men disperse around the room.

"Good to see you too, Lee. How are you doing?" Kevin replied.

"Well hopefully you and the rest of this motley crew can tell me," Lee bandied back. As Lee took in the faces of Nelson, Morton and Jamieson he got the distinct impression what they found was not good. He swallowed hard and sighed. "So Admiral what's the bad news? By the looks on your faces I get the feeling that things are not going well."

"Lee when I opened the box to take the samples from the mingehe, it opened its eyes and actually moved. Son, that thing is still animated," Harri replied.

What color had returned to Lee's face vanished at the news that his would-be assassin was still active. The implications of that little bit of information quickly flashed through his mind and suddenly explained to him why he felt as though something from outside had been pushing its way into his dreams and why they had become so intense and so real.

Kevin as well looked stunned at that revelation. "How is that possible?" he wondered aloud. Having never seen the mingehe in action he was still somewhat dubious of the claims that it had come to life but given the looks on everyone's faces now, that doubt died.

"I think it's still active because it wasn't able to carry out its last tasking to kill Lee. I'm guessing here, but I think it probably was stunned into temporary stasis when it killed Amherst, the man responsible for dispatching it on its mission. It probably has taken this long for it to recoup its strength and is now exerting what power it has over Lee," Harri offered.

Lee nodded slowly, seeing the logic in that possible explanation. "It makes sense. It explains why my dreams have become so real and so intense. Probably when it bit me it marked me somehow so it could find me again and now that it has recovered from the death of Amherst it's ready again to come after me," Lee replied.

"I think that also explains the source of the toxins in your blood," Jamie added. "These compounds work to limit the mobility and strength of a living organism making it easier for a predator, in this case the mingehe, to render a prey that got away immobile and easier to track down and kill."

"Well that's just lovely," Lee replied flatly.

"It must also explain why the toxins haven't killed you outright Lee," Blanchard added as he struggled to comprehend what was going on and how these men so matter-of-factly discussed a topic so far beyond the realm of reason. "It probably has to complete its task physically as opposed to letting the poisons do the job. The poison it injected into you when it bit you is just to keep you from running off and dying on your own. It must somehow be able to moderate the effects to keep them from being fatal."

"But why isn't Henderson experiencing these same effects?" Chip wondered.

"My guess again, is that in the animation ceremony Lee was specifically marked as the target by the offering made. Henderson was merely in the way and not the target of its attack. Lee and the mingehe were somehow bound together by that spell and Lee's genetic material, and the only way to end it is for one of them to be destroyed," Harri offered grimly.

"So we just go toss the thing in the furnace and be done with it," Chip offered hopefully.

"Somehow I don't think that will work given how it responded to the physical attacks it endured from Lee's gun and Henderson's and Baker's rifle butts. It's definitely worth a try but I get the feeling we're going to have to go back to its site of origin and have it unmade by the people who created it," Harri responded. "Kevin what can you tell us about the Baka?"

"The Baka are generally a very peaceful people who live as hunter/gatherers in the African rainforest. They have been pretty well marginalized by mainstream African society and only exist on the periphery. Only a few of the tribe interact with the outside and fewer still speak anything but Baka. They have historically been referred to as Pygmies which now days is no longer considered a politically correct term for the tribe. They're a diminutive group that usually don't grow taller than 5 feet. They are semi-nomadic and their movements are governed by the ready availability of game animals in their current location. Once they've hunted things to the point they're difficult to find they move on to another area," Kevin explained. "As I told you earlier they utilize poisoned arrows and spears in their hunting and the poison is derived from the plant strophanthus congoensis, which is one of the poisons floating around in Lee's bloodstream. Religiously they are tied closely to the jungle and a belief in bark and metamorphosis. They worship a being known as Komba as the god above all others but also worship lesser gods and other supernatural entities that compose their world."

"Very interesting," commented Harri. "Do you think we will have any problem locating the specific group Amherst got the mingehe from?"

"It's been over 7 months since we were with them, they've probably moved on to another hunting area since then. I suppose we could return to their last campsite and see if they're there and if not we can check with the surrounding villages and towns to see if anyone knows where they've gone," Kevin answered.

"That's a start," Harri responded. "Will, why don't you get that sample analyzed just to confirm our suspicions. Kevin, you and Chip come with me and we'll give Chip's suggestion of trying to destroy the mingehe a shot and Lee, you lay back and relax."

"Oh come on Admiral, you can't expect me to just lay here while you try and torch that thing. I want to be there and watch," Lee shot back.

"I can't even begin to tell you how stupid that request is," Chip fired back angrily. Lee glared at his friend ready to pull him up short for his tone. "Think about it rationally for a minute Lee. You don't want to be anywhere near that thing especially if this doesn't work and it somehow gets free. We've already established that we have yet to find a way to kill it and if it does get loose you know anyone else there will be trying to protect you and will probably wind up injured or dead. If you insist on being there, why don't we just tie you to a stake and be done with it."

Lee let loose an exasperated sigh as Chip's words really hit home. He was right and as much as he needed to be there to see the thing destroyed his presence would introduce additional dangers to his friends that were unacceptable.

"Chip's right, son. You know that," Harri added quietly trying to assuage the sting.

"I know Admiral, and you're right Chip. I'm just so tired of all this and want it over. I need to know it's not coming back, but I would never willingly put you or anyone else at risk to satisfy my selfish needs," Lee replied contritely.

"What if we did a live video feed?" Chip offered after a moment's thought.

"That would work," replied Lee with a huge smile. "I'm there, yet I'm not."

"Well now that that's settled let's get busy," Nelson said matching Lee's smile.

(oo)

Three hours later the live feed from the maintenance bay streamed into Lee's med bay room and onto the screen of his laptop computer. He saw Harri, Chip and Kevin preparing for their experiment in mingehe destruction. He manipulated the keys on his keyboard and zoomed the picture in and out and panned across the room.

"Are you there Lee?" Harri called out as he heard the camera lens move.

"Yes sir, Jamie and I are standing by," Lee replied into the mic.

"Good we're just about ready to give this a try. Sit tight and relax, okay son."

"Yes sir."

As the men in the maintenance bay came and went collecting the items they needed Lee watched in fascination. In the center of the bay they had placed a 3' x 3' metal burn tray atop a pedestal of concrete blocks. To one side were a number of fire extinguishers to control any errant flames along with a bag of sand and an asbestos blanket. Zooming in he noticed that a ring had been welded to the floor of the tray obviously to attach the chain to during their burn to keep the mingehe in one place.

Harri moved into view with the box in hand and set it down in the tray then slit the tape holding the lid shut and removed it. He cautiously reached in and removed the doll from the box and as he did the mingehe's eyes snapped open and it glared at him. He damn near dropped the thing he was so startled by the action. Kevin, who was off to Harri's right, physically jumped and skittered backwards a few steps as he was finally witness to the animated state. The mingehe for its part hissed at the men but was otherwise unable to move much due to the restraining collar that held it in place.

Harri quickly placed the thing in the tray and attached the chain from the collar to the retention ring on the floor of the pan. He then grabbed the box and stepped back.

"All right everyone, are you ready to begin?" asked Nelson.

"Admiral a quick question before you start," Lee responded.

"Yes Lee what is it?"

"Why aren't your just tossing the doll into the refuse furnace?"

"Well Lee the melting point of gold is just under 2000 F and our furnaces burn considerably hotter than that to eliminate some of the more exotic compounds we use here. I don't want to take the chance that fire doesn't work and all we succeed in doing is melting off the only means we have of controlling this thing in the process," Harri explained.

"Ah, makes sense. Thanks, I'm ready for you to put that thing out of my misery," Lee replied.

"Okay Chip you're up," Harri said as he stepped back and Chip approached with an acetylene torch.

"Ready?" Chip asked as he pulled the face shield down.

"Ready!" Nelson and Blanchard replied.

Chip quickly sparked the torch and dialed it down to a razor thin flame. He reached forward and began applying heat to the torso of the mingehe. The thing hissed again and tried to sidle away from the searing heat of the torch. It squirmed uncomfortably and issued a strangled roar but failed to catch fire.

As they all stared in amazement at the obviously fireproof doll, Lee suddenly screamed out in pain. "Admiral, Chip please stop! Oh god stop!"

Chip immediately pulled the torch away and shut off the flame. "Lee! Lee what's wrong?!" he called to the microphone.

The next thing they heard was Jamie calling for ice packs and the sound of people exiting and entering the room as Jamie tried to get Lee to relax.

"Jamie, what's going on?" called Nelson.

"Damn it, Harri the effects of that heat were transmitted directly to Lee. There's a huge red welt on his side exactly where Chip was trying to burn the mingehe. He just passed out from the pain."

"Damn it!" Harri swore. "I was afraid something like this might happen. I guess that pretty much settles it, we're going to have to go back to Cameroon and track down the Baka. So how's Lee doing now?"

"He's still out. I've got cold packs on his side and the welt is fading fast. It looks like only the pain is passed on and not any actual physical damage, which is some consolation I guess," Jamie replied.

"Okay Jamie, take care of him. We'll wrap things up here and be there shortly," Harri said then flipped the camera system off.

He walked back to the burn tray and stared at the mingehe. It was seated in its normal position and its eyes were once more closed. He reached down and picked up its box and placed it in the tray then released the chain from the retaining ring and grabbed the doll. It remained inanimate for which Harri was extremely grateful. He placed it back in the box, returned the lid then once again wrapped multiple layers of duct tape around the box.

"So much for that," he said with undisguised frustration.

"Th…that…that thing was really alive," stammered Blanchard as he stared in fear at the tape-encased box.

"Told ya," Chip replied. "I know it sounds impossible up until the point it moves."

Blanchard released a ragged sigh as he tried desperately to settle himself down. "How is it you all accept this so easily?"

"This is one of the tamer things we've encountered on our voyages. We've run into mummies, ghosts and a host of extraterrestrials," Harri replied. "It's not something we advertise for obvious reasons and would appreciate it if you kept this to yourself Kevin."

"Of…of course Harri," Kevin answered. "I don't think anyone but the fringe element would believe me anyway and it's not the type of attention that would do my research work any good."

"Thank you Kevin. Given our rather stunning failure at burning this thing to ash I think our only other option is to return to Cameroon and get in touch with this Dharbaka, the shaman Amherst got the mingehe from. Would you be willing to accompany us Kevin?" Harri asked.

"Of course Harri," Blanchard replied. "I still feel somewhat responsible for providing Amherst the opportunity to go after Lee and need to make up for that."

"It wasn't your fault Kevin, you're in no way responsible for what happened. Amherst was mentally deranged and just seized on the chance to take out his sick version of revenge for a perceived slight," Nelson replied.

(oo)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Preparations to travel kicked into high gear once it became obvious that solving this dilemma could not be accomplished at NIMR. Based on Blanchard's input, the Baka tribe they needed to contact lived deep within central Cameroon along the Sanaga River. Given they needed to travel inland it was rapidly decided that they would travel via FS-1 instead of Seaview. Jamie argued long and hard that Lee should remain back in Santa Barbara but was quickly overruled by Nelson saying Lee's presence may be required to end this horror once and for all. The one concession he got was to be allowed to accompany the group to keep an eye on his most difficult patient.

It took nearly two days to complete all the preparations and gain the appropriate clearances to enter the country. In that time Lee's dreams had continued and now contained scenarios where he was consumed by flames as the mingehe terminated his existence, which effectively eliminated any chance of getting any rest from his scattered attempts to sleep. He was also growing weaker as the effects of the toxins worked on both his nervous system and organs, most notably his heart. He had developed an irregular heart beat and was showing signs of congestive heart failure.

It was 0500 when they all assembled at the subpen and climbed aboard FS-1. Lee was rapidly becoming a shell of the man that he normally was and was helped aboard then tucked quickly into the recessed bunk along the bulkhead for the journey. Between the lack of sleep and the poisons flowing through his veins the majority of his strength had left him and his gaze had taken on a dull and vacuous appearance. They had to resolve this fast before irreparable harm occurred to Lee's organs and mind.

Once all the equipment had been stored Nelson, Morton, Jamieson and Blanchard joined Lee aboard. Harri claimed the pilot's seat as Chip strapped into the copilot's chair and began working through the preflight. Jamie assisted in closing the aft hatch and received the _good luck_ wishes from Sharkey and the rest of the crew.

With the hatch shut and Jamieson belted in, Nelson motored the little sub away from the dock and out to open water so he could make the short sprint needed to launch FS-1 into the air. Once airborne he and Chip ran through their checklists verifying all systems were operating properly then promptly went supersonic; there was no time to waste if they were going to save Lee's life.

Four hours later they briefly made port in Douala to clear customs then immediately began working their way up the Sanaga River to the last location where Blanchard had visited the tribe. As they reached the coordinates Kevin had provided their hearts sank as they found an abandoned encampment. It was obvious it had been unoccupied for some time as the jungle was quickly trying to reassert itself onto the open ground.

"Damn!" swore Chip as he scanned the empty campsite. "So what do we do now?"

"We need to head back to Nkongngok and check with a friend of mine there to see if he has heard of where the tribe has moved. They rely heavily on fish as well as fresh game, so they won't have moved too far from the river's edge," Kevin offered.

"Okay then that's what we'll do," Harri replied. "Everyone get strapped in."

They quickly returned down river and landed at a small airstrip in Nkongngok. Drawn by the strange aircraft spotted landing at the airstrip, a number of locals drove down to see what it was. Blanchard and Nelson were able to quickly find someone willing to give them a ride to town so Kevin could touch base with his friend and see if he had any knowledge of the tribe's whereabouts.

Two hours later they returned to FS-1. "We've got a lead on their location," Harri announced as he greeted Chip and Jamie upon their return. "According to Kevin's friend they've moved about 30 miles northeast of the campsite we saw earlier. He indicated it's located up one of the small tributaries feeding the Sanaga."

"That sounds promising," Jamie replied.

"Don't get too excited. Derrik said that it was quite a hump from the stream's bank to where they've set up camp so we're going to have to hike about 3 miles through the jungle," Kevin added.

"Is Lee going to be able to make that?" Chip asked knowing how weak his friend had grown in the last few days.

"I don't know," Jamie replied. "Could you bring the shaman back to FS-1?"

"He'll probably be reluctant to come," Kevin answered. "They're very wary of outsiders and it's quite likely he won't want to leave the group."

"Let's make that decision when we get there," Harri finally said. "We need to find them first before we go bashing our way through the jungle. Once we get to the coordinates Kevin's friend gave us, Kevin, Chip and I will head out and see if we can locate the tribe. Jamie you stay with Lee and make sure he's safe."

"Sounds like a reasonable plan, Harri," Jamie replied. "I don't want him expending energy he can't spare until he has to. We'll be safe in FS-1 while you're away."

"Then we have a plan. Alright everyone inside and let's get moving," Harri ordered.

As the men entered FS-1 Lee looked hopefully at the admiral's face. "Well?"

"We think we know where they've relocated to son. We need to go up river a ways then head up one of the smaller tributaries. Once we get there Chip, Kevin and I are going to scout ahead and see if we can locate the village. You and Jamie get to guard FS-1," Harri replied as he patted Lee on the shoulder.

"You mean Jamie gets to watch me lay around and do nothing," Lee replied.

"Lee you're in no condition to be tromping through the jungle unless there's a real chance of getting rid of that damn thing," Harri responded. "We need to move quickly to hopefully find them and then either bring you to them or the shaman to you. Please Lee, just be patient."

"I know Admiral," Lee sighed. "Anymore I think that's all I am, a patient," he added with a small smile that elicited a chuckle from the other men.

"We're working on remedying that Lee, so you better enjoy the rest before you're put back to work," Chip replied. "As I recall there was a Mt. Everest of paperwork waiting for you in your office."

Lee snorted and smiled. "Well then let's get to it before it really reaches epic proportions."

Harri clapped Lee on the shoulder and smiled, amazed that he could maintain any optimistic outlook given all he'd been through. He nodded to the group and Jamie secured the door, Chip fired up the engines and everyone took their seats for the next leg of their search.

(oo)

Harri plugged in the coordinates and they began working their way upstream until they reached the tributary Kevin's friend described. Nelson moved FS-1 deftly up the smaller stream and upon reaching the general area he piloted towards the northern bank finding a cleared area and beached the small craft. Chip climbed out of his seat undogged the hatch and was quickly assailed by the heavy, wilting tropical heat and humidity that forced its way through the door.

"Ah, the tropics," Chip said with a grimace as he broke into a sweat.

"Okay let's get out and check the general area and see if we can determine if we're in the right place," Nelson replied with a slight chuckle. All five men made their way out the aft hatch and stood there on the bank taking in the sights around them.

After scanning the jungle canopy and surrounding area Lee smiled. "We've got the right place," he announced. The rest of the group looked at him curiously wondering how he knew that.

"Well even if that's the case, we'll hike in a ways and try to let them know we're here and make contact," Nelson responded still staring at Lee.

"They already know we're here sir; they probably knew the moment we turned up this tributary," Lee added with cryptic certainty.

"And just how do you know that, Lee?" Harri asked intrigued by Lee's statements.

Lee just smiled at the other members of his party then pointed up into the trees in front of them until the man hidden there moved from under his perfect camouflage and began climbing down to the ground. He then pointed at four locations in the foliage until the men moved realizing their cover had been blown.

"How the hell did you spot them?" Chip asked totally baffled. Having assisted Lee out of FS-1 he had followed Lee's gaze as he scanned the surrounding area and hadn't spotted a thing.

"It's a spook thing," he replied quietly with a chuckle, eliciting the expected rude retort and eye roll from Chip. As they watched the man descend the to the jungle floor he was quickly joined by the four other men who emerged from their hiding places in the surrounding vegetation.

The five Baka men moved cautiously forward towards the group of outlanders. They had dark cocoa colored skin, short cropped hair and were all short in stature, the tallest no more than four and half feet tall. They were thin and wiry but quite obviously strong and very fit. They wore green colored shorts made of a light weight cotton and were bare chested. Three of the men had spears and the other two carried small bows and quivers filled with short arrows.

As they approached Blanchard smiled broadly recognizing the men as being members of the tribe they had stayed with for five month. He called out in rudimentary Baka and greeted each man by name. After a moment the men returned Blanchard's smile and greeting, all the while maintaining a wary eye on the newcomers behind him.

Having pretty quickly exhausted his limited vocabulary of Baka he switched to French and spoke directly with the apparent leader of this band of hunters. " _Balu, my friend, it is very good to see you and the others. Let me introduce my friends Nelson, Crane, Morton and Jamieson_ ," he said as he pointed to each man. The NIMR men nodded slightly as they were introduced.

" _Balu we have need to speak with Bakumu and Dharbaka about a matter of some importance. We are in need of their assistance in solving a very serious problem. Would you be willing to take us to them?_ "

Balu quickly translated what Kevin had said to his companions and they rapidly discussed their request. After a few moments of heated discussion they all nodded. " _Yes Kevin I will lead you back to our village. The others need to continue hunting so they won't be joining us._ "

" _Thank you Balu, you have no idea how much we appreciate your help. How far is it back to the village?_ " Blanchard asked knowing everyone would be concerned with Lee's ability to accompany them.

" _It's about an hour's walk from here; not far at all. We had only just started our hunt so we have not traveled too long._ " Balu replied.

Kevin turned to Nelson and company to translate what Balu had said. "He said it's about an hour from here, which knowing how well and how quickly they move through the jungle that would be at least four miles as the crow flies. Do we want to all go with him or wait until we've spoken with the chief and shaman and then come back for Lee?"

"I'm inclined to send you ahead and leave me and Lee here until we find out if they can even help us. This heat and humidity are going to tax Lee to the limit given his current condition," Jamie offered.

"Admiral we all need to go," Lee responded. "We don't want to waste time running back and forth between FS-1 and the village and also run the risk of offending the elders by not all presenting ourselves before asking their assistance. I can make it and if it turns out to be a little farther than we anticipate Chip can carry me," Lee added with a wink. Chip glared at him in mock offense.

Nelson regarded his captain and his CMO and considered both their arguments. "I'm inclined to agree with Lee. If we leave you both back here it may send the wrong message. Lee you need to do the best you can but if you start having problems, you _**WILL** _ let us know and you _**WILL** _ accept help. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir, I understand," Lee replied.

"Very well, now that that's settled, everyone but Lee get your packs and let's let this gentleman escort us to the village," Nelson said. Blanchard quickly relayed what they had said to Balu then they all returned to FS-1 to get their gear.

They quickly collected their packs and split up additional supplies for Lee between them then rejoined the Baka hunters. Indicating they were ready to go, Balu nodded and bid goodbye to his hunting companions then began the march back to their camp. Balu traveled quickly and quietly through the dense foliage while his guests struggled somewhat to keep up sounding much like a herd of wounded hippos.

As the heat and humidity pummeled the NIMR men, Lee really began to struggle to keep up as the conditions rapidly sapped what reserves he had. Nearly at the point of collapse and having to admit he needed assistance he was relieved to see the village compound ahead through the trees. He let loose a deep sigh of relief which did not go unnoticed by his companions.

"You doing okay son?" Harri asked as he dropped back to walk with Lee.

"Yes sir, I'm hanging in there. It just feels as though I've been hiking through the rainforest with a pile of wet wool blankets on my back."

Harri laughed and gently patted him on the shoulder. "Just a little bit further and we can all rest and hopefully catch our breath."

(oo)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As they entered the clearing, it looked as though the entire village had turned out to greet them. Their impending arrival had quite apparently travelled quickly back to the village well in advance of the group. The clearing held a number of small dome shaped huts reminiscent of igloos, constructed from the branches and leaves of the surrounding jungle. The village population stood on the far side of the clearing regarding the foreigners. The men were dressed similar to Balu but most had on short sleeved lightweight t-shirts. The women for the most part wore brightly colored sheets wrapped around their waists but were bare from the waist up. The children were either nude or wore oversized t-shirts and the youngest peeked out cautiously from behind their mother's skirts. They were all very short in stature and Harri felt quite tall for the first time in his life.

Moving towards the center of the village, Blanchard quickly spied Bakumu the chief of this tribe. Kevin smiled widely and moved forward to greet his friend. The man was around five feet tall, of middle age with a hint of gray showing around the temples but quite obviously still physically fit. He was flanked by several older men who were counted as his trusted advisors.

" _Kevin, my friend welcome back_ ," Bakumu said in French. " _I did not think to see you again quite so soon."_

" _Bakumu, esteemed Chief and my dear friend it is indeed good to see you and the people again. I too hadn't anticipated returning quite so soon myself,"_ Blanchard replied _. "Bakumu may I introduce my travelling companions to you. This is Harriman Nelson, Lee Crane, Chip Morton and Will Jamieson. These are the men that helped me, Greg and Fred return to our home with all the excellent samples you helped us gather."_

" _Welcome gentlemen,"_ Bakumu responded _. "Friends of Kevin are most welcome."_

" _Thank you, we are deeply honored to be granted your hospitality,"_ Nelson answered for the group.

" _So what brings you back so soon Kevin? You can't have studied everything you took home with you yet."_ Bakumu inquired.

" _That is too true. We have enough of your jungle to keep me busy for nearly a lifetime_ ," Kevin replied with a chuckle. " _We have come to request your assistance with a very big problem._ "

" _Of course Kevin, if it is within our power to help we will do so_ ," Bakumu answered as he closely regarded the men in front of him. " _What is it that you need from us?_ "

" _When we were first here, Fred traded some things with Dharbaka to gain possession of a mingehe_ ," Kevin started.

While only a very few of the Baka spoke French, one of the two official languages of Cameroon, they all understood the Baka word Blanchard had uttered. There was a sudden wave of conversation and it was quite obvious to the visitors that the villagers were concerned and fearful of the mingehe. As the shock began to die down, Blanchard quickly scanned the crowd looking for Dharbaka, but he was nowhere to be found.

" _I am ashamed to say that Fred animated the mingehe on our return trip to settle an old debt he felt was owed him. Because of his actions he and an innocent man were killed by the mingehe, and one man was badly bitten._ Blanchard explained.

Bakumu and those elders who understood Kevin regarded him intensely, their faces hard and inscrutable. The seriousness of what he was saying was in no way lost on them. After a moment of trying to decipher the chief's reception of his news, Kevin swallowed and continued.

" _The true target of his hatred was attacked and severely injured. He now suffers from horrific dreams about the mingehe, constantly suffers from the pain of those injuries despite the fact they've healed and has onaye and Very Fast Death floating around in his blood._ " Kevin continued. As he added that bit of information to the story looks of shock and surprise spread across their faces. No one had ever heard of anyone surviving the attack of the mingehe let alone the poisons Blanchard had mentioned.

Seeing that they were still listening, Kevin pushed forward. " _We are here to ask you and Dharbaka to help us cure Lee Crane of the mingehe's curse and to destroy the doll if possible so no one else ever has to endure such pain and terror. We have the mingehe with us and it is still alive because we think it was unable to complete its task. It sits in its box just waiting for the opportunity to be set free so it can finish its work. Bakumu are you and your people able to help us in our quest?_ " Kevin finished.

As Kevin ended his speech another wave of conversation moved through the assembled villagers as those who spoke French translated for the others. This time the tone was decidedly tense and upset. The Americans watched closely the play of emotions across the faces of the villagers trying to gauge whether they would receive the help they so dearly needed.

" _Kevin I need to discuss this among the elders to determine if we're able to help you and your friend Lee Crane. Please take a rest and we will get back together once the sun has gone down."_ Bakumu replied after a few moments of intense conversation with the elders.

" _Thank you Bakumu. We appreciate your consideration,"_ Blanchard answered.

" _Balu says you may use his hut to rest until it is time for us to meet. My wife will bring you food and water to help revive you from the walk."_

" _Again, thank you very much for your welcome and consideration."_

After a quick conversation between Bakumu and several of the women of the tribe, the visitors were led to a good sized mongulu and invited to enter. They crouched and made their way through the door then sat down because the ceiling was not high enough for them to stand comfortably. Once seated the women returned with cups of water and fruits from the jungle they had collected earlier. Blanchard thanked them and then they departed leaving the men alone to rest.

(oo)

Once alone Jamieson immediately made his way over to Crane. "How are you feeling Lee?" he inquired.

"Don't hover Jamie, I'm doing fine," Lee answered trying to shoo him away. "I will admit I was almost at my rope's end by the time we reached the village but I'm starting to rebound a bit."

"All right but let me know if you start running into difficulties," Jamie added. Lee nodded then turned his attention to Harri.

"How do you think things went, Kevin?" Harri asked as he sipped on his water.

"I'm not quite sure. They definitely were upset when they found out Dharbaka had traded away the mingehe, that's for sure. I think they're also rather concerned that it is still alive and in their village. I really don't know the history of these things but I'm sure based on their reactions no one has ever survived an attack by a mingehe before," Kevin replied. "The one thing I did notice is that Dharbaka seemed to vanish once I started talking about that thing. My guess is that the group is not pleased something like that was allowed out of his control."

"I just hope they can help us some way and we don't have to try and find another tribe that might know more," Chip offered.

"Definitely. I had a hard enough time trying to keep up with our guide and can't even imagine how you managed it Lee," Harri answered.

"There wasn't much other choice, sir," Lee replied.

"Well I think we should all kick back and relax for the moment, we're probably going to need it. Lee why don't you lay back and try to grab a quick nap," Jamie directed. Lee rolled his eyes at him but stretched out as best he could in the small hut. The others made themselves as comfortable as possible and all were soon drowsing in the midday heat.

(oo)

Lee crept stealthily through the dense jungle very much aware of the fact that he was being hunted. The canopy had gone silent telling him the thing stalking him was close. Each snap of a twig or rustle of a bush kick started his heart as he crouched and spun around rapidly to face the direction of the sound waiting for the on-rush of the beast.

He tightly gripped the spear he suddenly realized was in his hand. Fearing for his friends, he increased the distance from the village lest they try to find him and attempt to protect him from the mingehe sent to exact Amherst's revenge. He would never sacrifice them to save himself.

He was tiring quickly as the effects of the poison, the heat of the day and the constant vigilance bled off what little strength he had. Nearing a clearing he eased along the periphery not wanting to make himself too easy a target. He scanned the open area then stopped suddenly as he spied a small, elderly man dressed only in a traditional raffia waist band staring back at him, eyes wide with fear.

As the old man turned to flee the mingehe rushed in past Lee, knocking him to the ground and attacked the other man. He brutalized him, ripping and tearing at his flesh eliciting horrific screams of pain and terror. The mingehe would pause for a moment and wait for the old man to recover his wits then resume its attack after seemingly taunting its victim. When the old man finally became so weak that his cries began to fail the animal raised up and roared loudly at the sky then drove its fangs into the man's throat and ripped it out silencing him for good.

By then Lee had regained his feet but had been frozen by the viciousness of the attack on the elderly man. Now finished with him, the mingehe turned slowly around and bared its bloody teeth at Lee. It roared again and then without any hint or warning leapt across the clearing and slammed him to the ground.

Lee fought with all his might and managed to fend the thing off with his spear momentarily until finally it ripped it out of his hands and tossed it away. It raked his chest and arms with its claws until all that could be seen was red. As Lee tried in vain to unseat the thing on his chest it swatted away his fists easily then lowered its maw towards his throat ready to terminate the helpless man beneath it.

As Lee prepared to scream he was suddenly grabbed and shaken firmly, a familiar voice breaking through the fog of terror pulling him back to safety. "Lee, Lee son, wake up. Come on you're having a dream."

Lee's eyes snapped open to find himself surrounded by his friends, each staring down at him concern etched on their faces. He blinked his eyes a few times then released a deep sigh of relief as he registered things around him and realized he was safe, for the moment.

"Are you all right Lee?" Chip asked anxiously. "You were really thrashing around and it took the admiral forever to wake you up."

"Yeah, I'm fine, sort of. It was a different dream this time, it took place here in the jungle," Lee answered shakily.

"Really? Anything else unique about it?" Nelson asked, still holding Lee by the shoulders to steady him.

"There was an old Baka man in the jungle with me and the mingehe attacked him first. I really had the feeling that attack was personal as it was more intense than any others I've watched. In my other dreams it always dispatched whoever else was unfortunate enough to be with me very quickly. In this one it seemed to draw things out, to revel in the pain and terror it caused," Lee explained. The other men in the hut shuddered uneasily at Lee's description of the attack.

"Did I scream?" Lee asked quietly.

"No we woke you before the dream ended, I think," Harri replied.

"Thanks," Lee responded thrilled not to have alerted the entire village to his distress.

"Any time, son," Harri answered as he gave Lee's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

(oo)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was well after dark by the time Bakumu sent for the visitors. Balu escorted them to the chief's hut and bade them to enter. They ducked inside and quickly claimed a seat in the crowded hut. There were five other men in addition to Bakumu who were apparently there as trusted advisors. They were offered drinks which they accepted and thanked their host.

" _We have given your request a great deal of consideration and at the moment are at a loss as to how to assist you. Dharbaka has gone off to help another tribe who has lost their shaman and we have no idea when he will be back,"_ Bakumu started. That remark sparked a great deal of discussion between the other men in the hut until Bakumu indicated he'd had enough.

Blanchard finally translated what Bakumu said to his group. Harri, Jamie and Chip sighed dejectedly at the news.

"That's not what his advisors said," interjected Lee in a hushed voice. The four men stared at Lee in amazement at his statement.

"And just how do you know that?" Harri asked quietly.

"I speak Baka. They said that Dharbaka disappeared shortly after we arrived. They think he ran off because he's afraid of what the tribe will do to him for letting loose of the mingehe. He created it and he should have destroyed it long ago once his business was done." Lee whispered. "Kevin, would ask the chief if I may be allowed to speak?"

"Why didn't you speak up when we first arrived?" inquired Harri, sounding more than a little irked.

"It wasn't my place. Kevin is the honored guest in this meeting and it's his duty to speak for us. I want to speak directly to the chief and his advisors in their language to press our case and enlist their help in finding the missing shaman. I need their permission to do so," Lee replied.

"Of course, Lee," Kevin said. " _Bakumu, Lee Crane requests that he be allowed to speak for our group._ " Bakumu nodded his agreement and gestured to Lee to proceed.

 **"Honored Chief and esteemed advisors, I wish to plead our case for your assistance in our mission to destroy this mingehe before it can take other lives, for no good reason,"** Lee began in fluent Baka. To say his words had an explosive effect on the assembled men would have been an understatement. Looks conveying surprise and anger at being deceived marked the faces of the men sitting across from him.

" **How is it that you speak our language so well yet did not let us know you understood all we have said?"** Bakumu started, the anger in his voice readily apparent.

 **"I spent many months with another tribe from the north when I was much younger. I learned from them during my stay. I said nothing at first because it was not my position to speak for us."** Lee answered. **"I in no way wanted to deceive you or spy upon your activities, I was only waiting for the correct time to request permission to speak."**

Bakumu and his advisor regarded Lee closely trying to divine the truth in his statement. They had to admit he had followed the protocols and only requested permission once the situation was correct. **"Perhaps so. We will listen for now. Go on."**

 **"My Baka name is Dunkuza and Jengi killed my boy some 13 years past. I was adopted into the tribe and taken as son by Churaka. I came to the tribe to help them fight the insurgents that were trying to upset the government and were slaughtering the Baka for fun. We worked together to rid the jungle of the unwanted and to chase them from Komba's and Jengi's sight."** Lee continued, pleased to have been given the right to speak.

 **"You speak truly,"** one of the older advisors replied. **"I had visited with Churaka's tribe some years past when I ran across them hunting. They spoke of the insurgents, the assistance provided by Dunkuza and how they chased them out of the jungle like dogs with their tails tucked between their legs."**

Lee smiled and nodded confirming the story. He was pleased that his ' _advice_ ' had paid off and the Baka had no longer been bothered. **"As Kevin has already said we are here to dispose of a mingehe that has been sent to end my life. We managed to gain temporary control over it when it killed Amherst as it went after me. We think the shock of killing its master momentarily put it back to sleep until it could regain its strength to come after me once more. Though I wasn't killed I still suffer from the bites inflicted upon me. I can't sleep and I grow weaker by the day as its venom of onaye and Very Fast Death flows through my veins. Should the collar ever be removed from around its neck, it would once again grow in size and seek me out to finish its task. Although concerned for my life, I fear for the safety and lives of my friends and any innocent people that attempt to protect me, or merely get between me and the mingehe, much like Amherst."**

 **"Why haven't you destroyed it yourselves?"** Bakumu asked.

 **"We tried but nothing has worked. It has been shot and we tried to burn it which only resulted in terrible pain for me. We haven't the tools to undo the magic that holds it to this world,"** Lee explained. **"From what I have heard, Dharbaka created this monster and it most likely requires his magic to destroy it. Please, I ask for me but more so for any innocents that could be hurt, that you help us find Dharbaka and have him release this mingehe from his spell."**

 **"So why did Amherst set the mingehe after you? What did you do to so harm him?"** another of the advisors asked.

 **"He lost a contest we both entered and he felt that I had cheated him of his just victory. He told me because I had defeated him he had lost his father's respect and approval and did not get the prize money to go to the school of his choice. He felt he was a failure and that was all due to me taking the top prize away from him. We were both very young. I was 13 and he was 18 at the time. I would never cheat to win a prize for there is no honor in that. I was as surprised that I won as he was that he lost."** Lee replied honestly.

Bakumu looked to each of his advisors trying to get an idea for how they felt about helping the man before them. After a moment of consideration he spoke. **"We will take your plea under consideration. We must discuss this amongst ourselves since it can impact the entire tribe. Go and rest now, we will meet in the morning and give you our decision."**

 **"Thank you Bakumu. I very much appreciate the opportunity to speak with you and we will await your decision."** With that Lee turned to his group and smiled slightly. "We have been dismissed for the moment; they'll give us their decision in the morning." Lee made his way to the door and exited the hut, followed quickly by the rest.

Not really wanting to have the impending discussion with Harri and Chip in the middle of the clearing he indicated they should return to the hut. As he looked at his friends he could tell Chip was fuming and Harri and Jamie weren't too far behind. Kevin just looked surprised and confused at the rapid turn of events.

(oo)

Once they were back inside the hut it didn't take long for Harri to break the silence. "Do you want to tell us what the hell just happened?!"

"I pled our case with the chief and his advisors and they will give us an answer in the morning," Lee replied evenly.

"And…?" Harri coaxed.

"And I told you when we were here the first time I'd been to Cameroon before and had no need to really see it again," Lee added. "While I was here I stayed with a Baka tribe."

"How the hell did you get a Baka name? Those are only given to members of the tribe," Kevin asked with some irritation.

"I spent several months with a northern Baka tribe and was adopted by the chief. They had me go through the initiation where Jengi kills the boy that I was, and recreated me as a Baka man," Lee responded.

"Who's Jengi?" inquired Jamieson.

"Jengi is their god of the jungle, he is concerned with all things that live there. He's just below Komba who is their god above all things," Kevin explained. "As far as I know there's only been one other non-Baka that has ever claimed to have participated in that coming of age ritual. Hopefully you can give me some insight on that rite."

"Sorry Kevin, I would never violate their trust in me. It's a very private and sacred rite and I am sworn to protect that until I die."

"Damn it Lee, getting information out of you is like pulling teeth," Chip snapped in exasperation. "What the hell were you doing here?"

"I'm not at liberty to say, Chip. Let's just say that I was otherwise employed by another element of the Navy," Lee answered letting the NIMR men know ONI was involved but not alerting Blanchard as to his other military half life.

"You are anything but boring, you know that Lee?" Harri interjected with a good-natured chuckle. "Though why I'm still surprised by anything you do or say is way beyond me. So you said they're considering our request and will let us know in the morning?"

"Yes sir. I basically told them what had occurred, what we tried to destroy the mingehe, and that we needed their help to destroy it so it can't hurt anyone else."

"Do you have any feeling which way their decision will go?" asked Chip.

"Given how pissed some of the elders were that the mingehe was traded by Dharbaka and that it's now back, active, and could cause trouble for the tribe I think they'll help us at least find the shaman," Lee replied. "There is a very real fear of this thing and they want it out of their lives just as much as we do."

"Well I certainly hope so," Harri responded letting loose a tired sigh. "I think we should all bed down now and try and get some sleep. Either way, tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

"Agreed," added Jamie. "Lee at least lay back and relax. I know odds are you won't sleep but even if you just remain quiet your body has some chance to rest."

"Okay Jamie, I'll try. I'll keep watch so no one else need go without sleep."

As Lee stretched out and the others began unfurling their sleeping bags there was a rustling at the door and two women entered after they knew they'd been heard. The group nodded to the ladies and welcomed them in.

 **"Bakumu says that you have been poisoned by onaye,"** the older of the two women began.

Lee nodded. **"Yes, that is true."**

 **"Here is a medicine we use when one of us is accidentally poisoned during a hunt or when we make the onaye. It will give you strength allowing you to travel and help you fight off the effects until the poison has fled your body."**

Lee smiled and accepted the cup of liquid. He sipped it and made a bit of a face at the bitter taste causing the women to chuckle. After steeling himself, he quickly consumed the entire contents of the cup closing his eyes and grimacing as he swallowed the potion. The ladies once more laughed.

 **"Thank you so very much,"** Lee replied. **"I can feel it working now as the strength returns to my body."**

 **"You are quite welcome,"** the younger woman replied smiling shyly and giggling at the attractive man. Her older companion slapped her playfully on the arm as she flirted with Lee. The rest of the men in the hut chuckled as Lee flushed slightly in embarrassment.

 **"** Does it ever end?" asked Chip eliciting another round of laughter from those assembled. Lee shot him a dirty look and handed the cup back to the woman.

 **"Again, thank you,"** Lee said with a smile. The women nodded and then exited the hut. The laughter ratcheted up another few notches now that the ladies had left.

"The Crane charm strikes again," Chip teased garnering a middle finger salute from Lee setting off another round of laughter.

"Jealousy doesn't become you Morton," Lee retorted and then laughed.

"So what was that all about?" Jamieson asked curious about the drink.

"They brought me their remedy for onaye poisoning. I take that as a very good sign since they told me it will give me strength and allow me to travel. My guess is Bakumu dispatched them so I will be better able to join you on our hunt for Dharbaka." Lee explained.

"That's great to hear. Is it working?" Nelson inquired.

"I do feel better. I don't feel quite as weak. It does stand to reason they would have an antidote since they work with the stuff all the time and accidents do happen from time to time."

"Well let's all try and get some shuteye now so we're ready to roll in the morning," Harri added. They all nodded and went about settling down for the night and catching what sleep they could. Lee leaned back against the hut wall not willing to risk another dream and scaring the Baka to death as he cried out in terror.

(oo)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

As the morning sun spilled through the doorway into the hut, the bright light drew Harri from his sleep. He stretched slowly making sure he didn't kick anyone in the tight confines of the hut and gradually cracked open his eyes. Kevin, Chip and Jamie were still sleeping but Lee was nowhere to be found causing him instant concern. He carefully pushed up to his knees and crawled out. Exiting the hut he stood up, stretched out his back and scanned the encampment immediately spotting Lee leaning back against a tree staring blankly into the jungle.

"Morning Lee," Harri said quietly as he walked over to his captain.

"Morning sir," Lee replied as he looked up squinting against the sun. "Did you sleep all right last night?"

"Not bad, I think I would have slept well on a bed of nails I was so tired. How about you?"

"I rested and I think I nodded off from time to time but luckily not long enough to dream," Lee answered with a tired smile. "I think the potion I drank last night helped, I'm feeling better than I have in days."

"Excellent," Harri replied with a smile as he lowered himself down to sit next to Lee. "So what _were_ you doing here all those years ago?"

Lee smiled and shook his head. "Would you be satisfied with it's classified?"

Harri looked at Lee and just raised his eyebrows, lifting the left just a shade higher than the right. Lee laughed quietly and sighed. Harri's security clearance exceeded his own and if he chose to really push the point could he could get access to just about anything he wanted to know. Conceding the point, Lee continued.

"I was sent in as a military adviser to help government troops and small villages rebuff insurgents set on destabilizing the region and taking over. They seemed to take great joy in messing with the Baka and essentially killing them for sport. The Baka could take out a few with their spears and arrows but that usually resulted in an armed assault by the insurgents on the responsible village leaving very few alive."

"Ah," Harri replied and frowned. "How old were you Lee?"

"Twenty-two...twenty- three. I was sent in more for my linguistic abilities than tactical I think," Lee replied with a smile. "Thinking back over everything we've heard in the last day, my guess is that's who killed Dharbaka's family and he sought revenge the only way he knew how. The insurgents brought their families in once they took over an area and given what was in Amherst's diary it makes sense that he went after their families as retribution.

"There's no doubt in my mind you were sent in because of both, lad. So how is it that you came to be adopted by the tribal chief?" Harri asked.

"I had managed to save his wife, grandchildren and mother from an attack and he was quite grateful. When he found out that I had no father of my own, he insisted that he would be my guiding elder instructing me on the ways of the jungle and the Baka. When he felt I had learned enough there was a ceremony where he claimed me as his son and then I was put through the initiation ritual where the boy is dispatched and the man is born." Lee explained. "It really is an extreme honor and Kevin is correct in that there are very few non-Baka that have been granted that privilege."

"Have you ever been back to visit your 'father' and tribe?"

"No. Just before I left Chukara and several of the elders were wiped out while I was out with a hunting party. The one bit of advice I can offer you regarding the Baka, don't piss them off. They are usually a very easy going and peaceful people but things can get very ugly when they set their minds to it; they will feed you to the jungle. Employing the "advice" I had provided along with their natural talents and abilities, their response made the mingehe look tame. They very much wanted me to stay and eventually take my _father's_ place but it wasn't my world and they realized that so they sent me on my way with their blessing."

Harri smiled slightly then reached over and gently patted Lee's thigh. It was no surprise to him that the Baka had taken him as one of their own. The man had an incredible gift to meld with whatever group he worked with and quickly became a trusted and respected member garnering incredible loyalty. He could also understand the chief taking the young man under his wing and wanting to guide him into his adulthood. He found himself compelled to do the same thing many years ago and counted himself lucky that Lee had claimed him as his father.

As they sat there talking quietly the rest of the village slowly began to stir to life. Fires were stoked and breakfast was made as they greeted the day. The rest of their group emerged shortly from their hut and joined Harri and Lee.

"How are you feeling today, Lee?" Jamie asked as he crouched down to get a look at his CO.

"Much better Jamie. As I was telling the admiral I think their drink helped alleviate much of the pain and weakness associated with the onaye. I feel like I've got more strength and I'm much more rested than I've been in some time." Lee answered truthfully.

"Good to hear. I wish I could have grabbed a sample of that drink for analysis," Jamie replied.

"I'm sure if you ask, they would gladly give you some," Kevin offered.

"So any idea when we'll get our answer?" asked Chip.

"Once breakfast is over we should be summoned to Bakumu's hut for their decision," Lee responded.

"Speaking of which, we all need to grab something to eat so we're ready to go," Jamie ordered. "You included Lee."

"Actually Jamie I'm pretty hungry this morning so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Great then let's get to it," Jamie answered pouncing on Lee's willingness to eat for a change. They returned to the hut and broke out the MREs they had with them. Nearly finished with their meal there was a rustle at the door and the women from the evening before entered carrying big bowls of food and another cup of medicine for Lee.

Accepting the food Kevin thanked them. Lee likewise accepted the drink and slurped it down with relish much to the delight of the ladies. He thanked them and handed back the cup. They quickly departed to get back to their morning duties.

Chip looked dubiously into the bowl wondering what they had brought. "What is that?"

"Looks like monkey meat," Kevin responded. "Give it a try I think you'll enjoy it. It's kind of a cross between lamb and chicken. The other is a fruit mixture which is really quite good." Lee nodded in agreement as he reached in and took some meat and popped it into his mouth.

Harri, Chip and Jamie tried the food and found it much to their liking. They all polished off the meal in no time. As they finished there was another rustle at the door and Balu entered.

 **"The chief and elders will meet with you now. Please follow me."**

(oo)

Once the visitors had taken their seats Bakumu scanned the room and received a confirming nod from his advisors. **"We have considered your request and agree to help you find Dharbaka and to destroy the mingehe. Last night I dispatched two of the best trackers in the village, they located his trail and say he has settled in one of our old campsites about 5 hours from here."**

Lee nodded and bowed his head in respect. **"You have our most sincere thanks for giving us your assistance in our tasks. We are ready to leave anytime your guides wish to go."**

 **"Do you feel up to making this trek Dunkuza?"** Bakumu asked concerned with the man's ability to keep up.

Lee smiled broadly and nodded. **"Yes. Thanks to your gift of the medicine for the onaye I am feeling the best I have in many days. I'm stronger and quite able to keep up with our guides. Should I have trouble my companions will help me so that we don't slow anyone down."**

 **"Very well. I, Maki, Balu and Kimbe will accompany you on this trip to ensure that Dharbaka releases the mingehe and frees you from its threat. We will be ready to travel in one hour."** Bakumu stated.

 **"We are indeed honored to have you lead the way. Thank you once again. We will be ready in one hour,"** Lee replied and then motioned to his friends it was time to leave. They quickly crawled out of the hut and followed Lee back to the one they had used.

"Well?" Harri asked.

"They're going to help us track down Dharbaka and make him destroy the mingehe," Lee responded with a smile. "The decision was made probably before we got back to the hut last night. Bakumu said he had dispatched trackers last night and they've located the shaman about 20 or so miles from here. The chief, his main advisor, Balu and one of the trackers will be our escort so we are very lucky to have the big guns with us when we confront Dharbaka."

Big smiles spread across the group's faces. "That's excellent news," Harri replied. "Are you going to be able to make it Lee?"

"Yes sir. As I told Bakumu the medicine he sent over is working well and I am feeling the best I've felt in weeks. Plus I told him you'd carry me if I felt tired," Lee replied shooting Harri a wink at the last part.

"I just bet you did," Harri answered with a laugh. "So when do we leave?"

"We need to be ready to leave within the hour, so we've got to get everything cleaned up and packed right away."

"Lee if Bakumu sent trackers to find the shaman, why didn't they just force him back to the village?" Chip inquired.

"Shaman are very revered and feared men. They have powers over the jungle and things in the jungle that no one sees. The last thing anyone would want to do is upset the shaman and have him cast a spell or set the unseen against the person making him mad. Thus far it's just our word that he is responsible for what we are accusing him of and they aren't willing to take the chance that he would curse them for not believing in him." Lee explained.

"Oh. Well I suppose that makes sense, sort of..." Chip responded.

"It does to them Chip and this is their world we're invading," Kevin added.

"All right everyone let's get to it," Harri ordered as he ducked into their hut.

(oo)

Within 30 minutes they were ready to go. Lee had donned a pair of shorts and dispensed with his shirt feeling the need to be closer to the Baka. Kevin also put on shorts but chose to keep a shirt. Harri, Jamie and Chip stuck with their light khaki pants and t-shirts not willing to risk the brush and bugs on exposed skin. They emerged from the hut to await the chief and the others.

Moments later Bakumu emerged from his hut and nodded in approval that their visitors were already out and prepared to go. He approached Lee and for the first time saw the scars from his encounter with the mingehe. He reached up and slowly traced his fingers over the marks on his shoulder. He walked behind him and saw the remnants of the scratches on is back and grimaced slightly knowing how much those must have hurt.

 **"Before we go, we would like to see the mingehe to verify you speak the truth."** Bakumu said.

Lee quickly translated for the admiral and noted he looked less than thrilled to pull the thing out and open the box in Lee's presence. "Sir they want to make sure we're being honest with them," Lee implored.

Harri nodded in agreement and pulled his pack in front of him, unzipped the main compartment and rummaged his way down to the bottom where the box was stowed. When he pulled it out the reaction was immediate as the Baka recognized the box even with the hefty wrapping of duct tape. "Do they want me to open it?" Harri asked.

Lee asked the question and the nod from Bakumu gave them the answer. Harri reached into his pocket withdrew his knife and pulled open the longest blade. He shot an uneasy glance at Lee then slit the tape over the seam between the box and lid on one side and opened it. He moved over to the chief and his men and allowed them to look inside.

The mingehe was resting inside but its eyes were wide open and tracked the men looking at it. It shifted a bit in the box, sniffed the air and hissed. As it caught scent of Lee it became more agitated and suddenly moved to get out. Bakumu startled by the movement quickly indicated that Harri could close the lid and reseal it. The vision of the awakened doll had an unsettling effect on the Baka now that they had seen it with their own eyes. It was obvious that a new sense of urgency and a desire to end this situation had taken over and they were intent on getting this over and done with as quickly as possible.

Harri not having brought tape with him dug through his pack pulled out a bandana and securely tied it around the box to keep it shut then stowed it back in his pack. He could feel the thing inside scratching at the lid trying to get out and shuddered at the thought of that happening. Bakumu nodded his thanks to Nelson then inclined his head in the direction they needed to travel. His men picked up their gear and spears and followed him as he headed out of the village at a rapid pace. The NIMR men quickly grabbed their packs and hustled along after them.

(oo)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Baka set a blistering pace through the jungle that surprisingly left all but Lee struggling to keep up. They moved silently through the foliage whereas the Americans once again announced their approach like an elephant run amok. At times Bakumu and his men would just hang their heads in disgust that their passage through the jungle was being so loudly broadcast.

After two hours of continuous hiking the Baka took pity on the party behind them and stopped to give the other men an opportunity to catch their breath. The jungle was stiflingly hot and humid and they were struggling just to breathe not being accustomed to the environment. Dropping their packs to the ground, they quickly followed them gratefully lowering themselves to the jungle floor.

They pulled out their water bottles and drank greedily quenching their thirsts. After a few minutes Chip began rustling through his pack and pulled out a number of energy bars and offered them around to the entire group. The Baka accepted the bars and cautiously bit into them then smiled and finished them off with relish.

As the group rested Bakumu motioned Lee over to him for a discussion. **"You are keeping up well Dunkuza, we are all quite impressed,"** he started. **"Your friends however seem to have trouble keeping pace."**

 **"Thank you, Bakumu. My father taught me well,"** Lee answered. **"It is only because they are not used to the jungle heat and the difficulty of moving through the forest. They've not had the benefit of Baka instruction to allow them to move easily, and silently,"** Lee added and shot Bakumu a knowing smile.

 **"You read my thoughts well, you truly are a son of the rainforest,"** Bakumu laughed. **"As we draw nearer to where Dharbaka is camped I think we need to leave your friends behind so that we may approach him without announcing our presence too soon. I will dispatch Kimbe to find out if he's still there then we will come in and hopefully catch him unawares. We can't do that with your friends sounding like bull elephants battling during rut."**

Lee laughed out loud and nodded letting Bakumu know he was not offended by his words and observations. He looked over at his friends and winked at them. **"I totally understand and like you have cringed at the sound of our passage. I will let them know your plan and when you feel it's time to press on without us we will stop and await your call to join you.** "

 **"I have no problem with you coming with us, you move much like a ghost. As I said we are most impressed how well you walk through the jungle given your huge size,"** Bakumu replied also laughing as he kidded Lee about his _extreme_ height. **"I would think that we all can continue for another hour, then we will leave your friends behind. You should accompany us if you are able since it is you affected by Dharbaka's mingehe. He needs to know what his actions have caused."**

Lee nodded in agreement. **"I will inform my friends of your plan, I think it's a wise course of action."** Lee arose and walked back to where his group was relaxing.

"What did Bakumu want Lee?" Harri asked as Lee sat down next to him.

"He said we'll continue on for about another hour then he would like you four to remain behind as we close in on Dharbaka," he replied.

"Really?" asked Chip. "Did he say why?"

Lee fought hard to bite back the smile. "He basically said you all sound like bull elephants battling during rut and he didn't want to announce our approach too soon so Dharbaka could slip away again."

"I didn't think we were making that much noise," Jamie interjected looking almost affronted by Bakumu's observation.

Unable to contain the laugh at the perplexed looks on his companion's faces Lee chuckled and smiled. "It's all relative Jamie. Compared to other non-Baka you were rather stealthy however to the Baka ears you created enough noise to alert the entire jungle. Don't be offended, he realizes you're not of the people and haven't lived your lives here. He just wants to bring this to an end as quickly as possible."

"I take it he wants you to continue on with them?" Harri asked.

"Yes sir, if I'm able. He wants me to confront Dharbaka and show him what his evil magic has caused."

"I also take it he doesn't think you sound like an elephant in rut?" Chip interjected teasingly.

"Quite the contrary Chip, they complimented me on my ghost-like abilities to move through the jungle despite my freakish height." Lee replied seriously then broke out laughing and was quickly joined by the rest.

(oo)

After a brief break, Bakumu gave the sign and they all resumed their march towards Dharbaka. Now feeling rather self-conscious following the remarks regarding their abilities to move silently through the jungle Harri, Chip, Jamie and Kevin were endeavoring much harder to keep their movements quiet. Lee would look back from time to time to watch their exaggerated moves to avoid making a sound and would have to fight hard to bite back the laughter. On one such occasion Harri caught him in the act and sent him a withering glare that would have peeled paint. Lee smiled brightly not even trying to disguise his enjoyment of the moment.

As promised after about an hour of hiking Bakumu called them to a halt. They all quickly dropped their packs and claimed their water bottles. The Baka stood quietly in front of the group listening intently for any sounds of Kimbe's return. Hearing the cry of a bird in the distance ahead of them the Baka smiled and then sat down to await the tracker's arrival.

Five minutes later Kimbe strolled silently up to them startling the visitors. He spoke quickly with Bakumu and pointed in the direction he had just come. Bakumu nodded then stepped away from his men and motioned Lee to join him.

 **"Kimbe says that Dharbaka is still there and seems somewhat ill or tired; perhaps his mingehe is now drawing strength from him instead of you. That should make our effort to surround him much easier. We will go forward now and capture him, then I will send Balu back to bring your friends to us."** Bakumu stated. **"You have been moving very well with us do you think you are able to complete the trek to the clearing?"**

 **"Yes, I don't think I will have any problems. This break has allowed me to recoup my strength and I am ready to end this,"** Lee answered.

Bakumu nodded and smiled. He then opened the small pouch at his waist and pulled out a folded banana leaf. He quickly opened it revealing a gummy paste inside. **"Here Dunkuza take a portion of this and eat it, it will give you the strength you need to face Dharbaka and the mingehe."**

Lee accepted the leaf and scraped a finger full from the mass. **"What is it?"** he asked as he sniffed it then placed it in his mouth. The paste was incredibly bitter and sour and he screwed his eyes shut as he fought the urge to spit it out.

Bakumu laughed. **"That is concentrated medicine we use to cure onaye poisoning. It is also mixed with various extracts from roots and leaves to make you alert and strong. We rarely use it at full strength but this situation calls for it. You should feel the effects shortly."**

Lee nodded and tried desperately to force it down. Fearing he would gag, he quickly grabbed a water bottle from Kevin and gulped down the contents taking the paste along with it. It had a horrible aftertaste somewhere along the lines of rotted fish wrapped in a groady old gym sock, soaked in monkey pee and left to ferment in the sun for a year. He gave serious thought to taking out his knife and scraping the taste buds off of his tongue. The Baka laughed openly at Lee's reaction.

"What was that?" Kevin asked, intrigued by Lee's reaction as well.

"Super concentrated anti-onaye medicine," Lee replied as he coughed and tried to generate enough saliva to spit. "It's supposed to give me extra strength and alertness, though I think I'd welcome death about now. Ugh!"

Finally recovering his composure, Lee smiled and flexed his muscles. "I can feel it working already," he stated and caught a smirk from Bakumu. The other men laughed as well.

"We're ready split up now," Lee stated. "We're going to go in and surround the clearing and keep Dharbaka from disappearing into the forest. Once that's done Balu will come back to collect you and lead you to our location."

"Are you going to be up to this, son?" Harri inquired earnestly.

"Yes, I'm definitely up to this. And despite how retched that stuff tasted it really seems to be working. I feel more alert and physically stronger. I don't even want to know what was in it; I'm pretty sure I would fail a piss test," Lee replied with a laugh which elicited a similar response from the NIMR group.

Receiving a nod from Bakumu indicating they were ready to move, Lee quickly bent over and began unlacing his boots. He kicked them off along with his socks then walked over to join the Baka. He truly needed to be a ghost and anything but bare feet would give them away. Bakumu again nodded in approval and they were off, disappearing without a sound into the jungle before them.

(oo)

The smaller group took off towards the old campsite; their pace made the previous march feel like a cake walk as they flew through the underbrush and other foliage. Lee easily kept up thankful for his long legs and whatever was in that paste Bokumu had given him. They reached the outskirts of the clearing in less than 30 minutes.

Bringing the group to a halt Bokumu waved them close. **"Kimbe you take the right side, Balu the left, Dunkuza and Maki circle around to the back. I will enter the clearing and you four will be responsible for keeping him from running off. Everyone understand?"** He was greeted with affirmative nods. He smiled back and then motioned for them to disperse and take up their positions.

The men peeled off and moved silently through the jungle to their assigned places. The jungle gradually became quiet as they reached their slots signaling to Dharbaka that someone or something was around. Just as he stood to survey the periphery of the clearing Bakumu boldly walked into the middle confronting the shaman. Dharbaka immediately bolted but quickly ran into a _giant_ white man that emerged from the leaves. He gaped in amazement then after taking a moment to recover his wits he spun around and charged back into the clearing looking for another avenue of escape.

 **"Dharbaka, stop!"** called out Bakumu, drawing the man's attention. **"You are completely surrounded and have nowhere to go."** To prove his point, Kimbe, Maki and Balu entered the clearing taking position around him making escape impossible. The diminutive shaman dressed only in the traditional raffia waist band sighed in defeat and sank to the ground as the circle of men drew closer around him.

 **"You know why we are here, yes?"** Bakumu asked the cowering man.

 **"Yes. The mingehe has been returned home and you are here to force me to take possession again,"** Dharbaka replied quietly.

 **"Yes your mingehe has returned to the village but it is still active and we are here to force you to destroy it and free the man that has been marked for revenge,"** Bakumu answered.

 **"What?!" That's not possible. No one has ever survived once a mingehe has been set on their trail."**

 **"Dunkuza, here is such a man,"** Bakumu explained as he pointed to Lee. **"Amherst set the mingehe after him and in the process managed to be killed by his minion of death. The mingehe is still alive and although contained by the box and its collar, is still very much intent on completing its task."**

Dharbaka's eyes grew wide with fear as he digested what he had heard and went over the implications in his mind. He looked up at Lee cautiously and regarded the only known _marked_ survivor of a mingehe attack. As he made eye contact with him he noticed the startled look of recognition in the man's eyes.

 **"Have we met before?"** Dharbaka asked quietly.

 **"Only in a dream,"** Lee replied cryptically. Seeing the confusion on the old man's face he explained further. **"Since being bitten by the mingehe I have suffered from terrible dreams that always result in me and any of my friends with me in the dream being killed by the mandrill. Yesterday when I slept I had another dream and it took place here in _this_ clearing and you were part of it**."

 **"How did the dream end?"** Dharbaka asked curiously.

 **"I don't know, I was awakened by my friends before I reached the end,"** Lee answered evasively. He was not about to tell the one man he needed to save his life that the mingehe tortured and killed him before it went after its true target. This man owed him a solution to this problem and he wasn't about to take a chance on him refusing to help given what he had seen in his dream.

Having detained Dharbaka, Bakumu dispatched Balu to collect the other men and bring them to the clearing. He made a point of telling Balu that he should stress to the men that silent passage was no longer required and to come as quickly as possible. Lee laughed quietly as he listened to Bakumu's instructions and garnered a wide smile from the chief and the other men from the village.

 **"Can you destroy this thing, Dharbaka?"** Lee asked.

 **"I will resolve this, I promise you that. I owe you at least that much,"** he replied.

 **"May I ask you another question?"** Lee inquired. Dharbaka nodded his assent. **"Did you enchant the mingehe after a raid by the insurgents that killed your wife and sons?"**

Dharbaka nodded, surprised that Dunkuza would know of the event. **"Yes. I was a young man then. I had only been married four years and had a loving wife and three young boys. The insurgents attacked the village while most of the men were away hunting and killed almost everyone left behind. My family was slaughtered for no good reason and I swore on their souls that I would avenge their deaths and make them ALL pay."**

Given the grief and hatred conveyed in his explanation, Lee knew the sense of loss had lost none of its sting over the intervening years. As he considered the man's response he tripped over something he had said.

 **"You said you were a young man then? That doesn't make sense to me,"** Lee replied. **"Dharbaka how old are you?"**

Dharbaka sighed deeply. **"I am 39."**

Lee's eyes grew wide. The man before him looked to be at least in his 80's if he was a day. It seemed inconceivable that he was only 39. **"Pardon me for saying so, but you look as though you are 80, how is that possible?"**

 **"When you dispatch a mingehe to carry out your vengeance there is a price to be paid by everyone involved, victim and dispatcher. The victim pays with his whole life, the dispatcher likewise pays with his life providing the energy the mingehe needs to carry out its task. It sucks the life force from your body and should the mingehe sustain any injury or damage you likewise experience its pain. In my anger and grief I set the mingehe on every member of the raiding party that killed my family, but I didn't stop there. I sent it to kill any in their tribe that shared blood. It killed over thirty people, young and old, and for each one of those lives I gave up a year of my own."** Dharbaka explained.

The four men remaining in the clearing stared in amazement at Dharbaka's explanation. None had ever heard that part of the bargain before and that cleared up why he appeared to have aged so fast.

 **"Since we are asking questions, how is it that you speak Baka and have a Baka name, Dunkuza?"** Lee quickly related how all that came about and as he finished his tale a stroke of recognition hit Dharbaka.

 **"You are the Dunkuza who led Chukara's people against the insurgents and drove them out?"** Lee nodded. **"You helped make it safe for the Baka again. I am truly sorry this has befallen you, we owe you a great deal. What was it you did to Amherst that he felt he needed to be avenged?**

Lee explained what Amherst had told him as he confronted him in sick bay following the first attack. Dharbaka shook his head in disgust at the reason.

 **"I am truly sorry I gave him the mingehe. It was such a waste to give up his life and the life of the other man for such a trivial reason. And also to bring such pain and horror to those who survived; none deserved what they received. One more question if you don't mind, how is it that Amherst is dead and you live? The mingehe should never have attacked him."**

 **"We're not quite sure why I was spared and the mingehe suddenly stopped and shrank in size, but we think it's because Amherst didn't have the collar and chain with him when he brought the mingehe into my room to complete the job. When it attacked it was going for me but Amherst simply got in the way. From what you said, it sounds as though the mingehe lost its power source when it killed its master."**

 **"That is probably a safe assumption,"** Dharbaka replied, having no other explanation himself.

As they sat there waiting for Balu to return with the others the jungle suddenly grew silent. **"Ah they are here, or at least should be in the next 30 minutes,"** Maki said causing the other members of their group to laugh.

(oo)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Thirty minutes later Balu entered the clearing with Nelson, Morton, Jamieson and Blanchard in tow and were greeted by the broad knowing smiles of the others. Kevin nodded to Dharbaka as they moved over to where the group was sitting. Bakumu made quick introductions and then suggested they all eat before they got on with the business of disposing of the mingehe. The Americans broke out their MREs and the Baka pulled out dried meats and fruits while Kimbe and Balu trotted into the jungle and returned with fresh bananas and oranges. There was a bit of impromptu trading of various items and then everyone sat down and ate.

With the meal finished all eyes were focused on Dharbaka. The question at hand was whether he could destroy of the mingehe and save Lee from the beast set upon him. It was quite obvious the man was extremely nervous especially with the presence of the large American contingent, both in size and in number, who were extremely insistent that he undo the magic he had done. Even his people were upset and insistent that he dispatch the mingehe back to the netherworld. Finding he had no other option but comply Dharbaka agreed to destroy the mingehe.

 **"Destroying the mingehe will not be an easy task especially since it has already been dispatched to carry out an act of vengeance. The ceremony must be conducted at midnight under a full moon, and luckily for us that is tonight,"** Dharbaka explained. **"Before we start there are several things that must be gathered in preparation for the ceremony and I will require your assistance in collecting it."**

The Baka men nodded indicating they would assist in gathering the materials needed to destroy the mingehe. Dharbaka identified several leaves, barks and roots he required, explaining that they were needed to contain the mingehe and hold it in place as he carried out the offerings and incantations to send it back to its world. Bakumu sent his men into the forest to gather what was necessary to complete the ceremony sending the spirit back to its realm and out of their lives forever.

 **"I also require something of you, Dunkuza. I need a lock of your hair and 5 drops of blood as payment to the mingehe, to satisfy its appetite,"** Dharbaka stated. Lee nodded and pulled out his knife and cut off a lock of his hair and passed it to Dharbaka who placed in a dried leaf. He then made a small cut to his thumb and let 5 drops of blood flow onto the hair and leaf in the shaman's hands. **"Thank you. This offering will keep the mingehe focused here instead of on you,"** he explained.

As they waited for the Baka to return with the items they were sent to find, and Chip, Jamie and Kevin collected wood for the fire, Harri unzipped his pack and pulled the box containing the mingehe out and held it in his hand. The very sight of the box nearly undid Dharbaka as a wave of terror washed over him. He paced frantically back and forth across the clearing apparently trying to steel his resolve. They all could hear the insistent scratching from inside signaling the creature was anxious to get out and complete its assigned task.

"How are you feeling son?" Harri asked Lee as he pulled him aside.

"I'm fine sir," Lee replied and then realized what he had said. "Honestly I am fine. Bokumu's medicine and being back at the origin of the mingehe seems to have lightened the severity of the poisons on me. I also think being so close to a resolution my own reserves have kicked in to make sure I don't waste this opportunity."

"What about Dharbaka, do you think he can pull this off?"

"I'm not at all sure about him. He's definitely terrified of the thing especially since it's active. What I find disturbing is that he was the Baka man in my last dream and I have never met him before. In fact this very clearing figured prominently in the last nightmare. There are definitely powers beyond my understanding at work here," Lee replied. "Another worrisome thing is that Dharbaka says that he is only 39 and when he created the mingehe and set it loose, for every life it took, it took a year of life from him."

"Seriously?!" Harri asked incredulously.

"Yes. Bakumu and the others verified he is only 39. He said that when he let loose the mingehe it wiped out over 30 people and therefore took over 30 years of his life force in exchange."

"That seems impossible," Harri remarked.

Lee snorted and smiled. "What part of this whole thing does seem possible?"

Harri returned his smile. "I see your point. So what now?"

"Well once all the materials are gathered and we reach midnight he will perform a ceremony to destroy the mingehe and release me from its spell. Somehow I get the feeling it won't be all that easy since he didn't release it once his vengeance had been served."

"I've got the same feeling. I guess if we prepare for the worst we'll be ready should something go wrong," Harri replied.

"Theoretically, sir." Lee answered and then looked over to the fidgety old man across the clearing. "I have the sinking feeling what I saw in my dream will somehow come into play. I don't really trust him not to just set it free to finish its work."

Harri stared in surprise at Lee's comment. "You think that's a possibility? Do you think it's wise then to go forward with the ceremony?"

"It's just a feeling. One way or the other I don't really have a choice. I'm not going to live my life as some decaying vegetable because that thing has marked me and I'm not willing to take a chance on the shaman's ability to destroy what he created. I would rather die than face that scenario since everything that makes my life worth living would be taken away from me anyway," Lee answered honestly.

"Well we can only hope he knows what he's doing lad," Harri replied and patted Lee gently on the back.

(oo)

As the midnight hour approached, Dharbaka had Maki build a fire as the others prepared the roots, bark and leaves for the ceremony. Dharbaka had Nelson open the box so he could see the mingehe before he started the ritual. The mere sight of the shaman sent the mingehe into a state of frenzy as it tried to scramble out of the box. Dharbaka nearly fainted as his worst fears were confirmed, the mingehe was awake.

Before the start of the ceremony Dharbaka walked over to Lee. **"I am truly sorry for all that has befallen you, after your service to the Baka this is something you never deserved. I just wish there was some other way."**

Lee looked at him curiously trying to decipher the meaning of his words. What the hell did he mean he wished there was some other way? He looked to Bakumu who had also heard what the shaman had said but he didn't seem upset by his words.

At nearly midnight Dharbaka walked over to Nelson and asked for the box. Harri removed the bandana and handed it over. The shaman made his way to the fire and prepared for his performance. There was no way he knew of to destroy a mingehe, the only way to at least make it safe was to let it finish its task and then return to its inanimate form. He had no idea how the rest of the group would react once he freed the doll, but had planned his escape in what would undoubtedly be the pandemonium and confusion that followed when the mingehe was set free.

He started at exactly midnight, chanting nonsense words and throwing various items into the fire causing the flames to leap impossibly high. He danced around the blaze and performed intricate gestures over the box containing the mingehe. Comfortable that the men observing the ritual were now fully focused on him and had no clue that he was deceiving them he finally removed the lid from the box, reached in and removed the doll.

The mingehe squirmed furiously in his hands and he nearly dropped it out of fear. He continued his dance around the fire periodically turning his back to the men then spinning back around and displaying the miniature mandrill to the watchers as he called out more nonsense incantations. Each time he turned his back he worked at loosening the screw holding the manacle shut around the mingehe's neck.

When finally the manacle was free he turned once more to face the men and looked directly at Dunkuza. " **I am truly sorry, this is the only way** ," Dharbaka stated. His remark elicited worried looks from those who understood what he said.

Suddenly Dharbaka flipped open the manacle, removed the collar and threw the mingehe high into the air above the fire. Freed from its constraining collar, the mingehe instantly grew to its full size as it reached the apex of the toss. It screamed loudly then touched down lightly in the roaring blaze snarling and hissing at those assembled, unaffected by the flames.

For the first time since this whole ordeal began Lee was thankful for having endured all the dreams. While the others of the group were frozen in surprise and horror, Lee had become so desensitized to anything the mingehe could do he was able to react immediately. The ape glared at Lee, bared its teeth and roared in anger then made to charge him where he stood behind Nelson and Bakumu.

Given his dreams, Lee suspected it would attack those in front of him to shock him and render him immobile. Lee sprinted forward as fast as he could towards his friends and as the mingehe launched itself at them Lee slid in behind them taking their legs out from underneath them sending them tumbling to the ground. The mingehe sailed past the surprised men unable to adjust fast enough to the rapid change in height of its targets. It roared again in fury as it regained its feet and turned back towards Crane.

As Lee rolled free of his companions he managed to grab Bakumu's spear and as the mingehe charged him he embedded the spear deep within its chest and levered the animal over him and into the jungle. The mingehe screamed in rage and once it righted itself it snapped the shaft off of the spear head buried in its chest and threw it aside. Just like the bullets the spear had no effect and the mingehe resumed its hunt of its quarry.

Lee sank into a crouch and scuttled sideways like a crab keeping the mingehe in front of him so he could quickly move in the direction opposite its attack. As he shifted right, Balu launched his spear at the mingehe catching it cleanly in the back. It roared in anger and once again snapped the shaft off of the spear head. It spun around and charged at Balu delivering a wicked scratch across his chest and knocked him head over heels into Dharbaka who had remained frozen with fear once his monster had been released. They both rolled off into the jungle as the mingehe spun back around and fixed its sights on Lee.

As this went on Harri had righted himself and made it over to his pack. He zipped it open and frantically began pulling things out in search of the article he was after. Finally locating it he removed it from the pack and turned to face the clearing. In his hand he held a small air horn and as the mingehe resumed its advance on Lee, he depressed the button causing the device to emit an ear-shattering blast that froze the mingehe in its tracks. The sudden blare from the horn startled all the men in the clearing and they slapped their hands over their ears to block out the noise. Lee quickly smiled at his father appreciating the delaying tactic giving him time to react.

While the mingehe howled in pain and tried to fight off the effects of the paralyzing sound, Lee ran back to where the mingehe had flung the spear shaft and snatched it up. As he headed back into the clearing the mingehe, finally able to fight off the sound, charged him quickly overcoming his defenses. As Lee struggled frantically to avoid the fatal bite, the animal was suddenly dislodged from his chest as Chip knocked it off with a flying tackle. The mingehe again cried out in rage and wrapped its arms around Chip and began scratching and biting at him as it tried to neutralize its attacker. Harri hit the button on the horn once more halting the mingehe's assault on Chip momentarily.

Lee snatched up the spear shaft and nailed the mingehe in the head snapping the shaft in half. The animal rolled across the clearing, dazed and off balance. Lee motioned to Jamie and Kevin to pull Chip from the field of battle.

"Damn it Morton, stay the hell out of this!" Lee raged at his friend and brother. "This is my battle and I won't trade your life for mine!"

In his concern over the attack on Chip, Lee had momentarily lost track of the mingehe and was rapidly scanning the area for it when he saw Dharbarka across the clearing, his eyes huge with fear. The mingehe rushed past Lee knocking him to the ground in its haste to get to the man on the other side. It launched itself at the old man hitting him at full speed slamming him hard to the ground. The mingehe began scratching and tearing and biting at the helpless man seemingly enjoying the screams of pain and terror.

As the screams faded it looked up towards the full moon and howled at the night sky giving the man a brief chance to recover his wits. Satisfied that the shaman was aware again, the mingehe resumed its attack on the man that had trapped it in this form and relegated it to being nothing more than a servant. Feeling the last of the man's strength flee it raised up, opened its mouth wide then silenced him. A massive wave of deja vu overwhelmed Lee for a brief moment as he recognized the scene from his dream.

While shaking its head viciously to rip out the man's throat, Maki's spear slammed hard into the mingehe's back knocking it off the shaman. The animal whirled around and scanned the clearing looking for the source of the attack. Spying Maki it raised up and howled again then slowly started making its way across the clearing ready to tear the man apart. Kimbe let loose his spear from the opposite direction which also hit its mark but nothing was stopping this thing. The mingehe brushed off the spears and continued stalking Maki.

Tired of his friends taking chances with their lives trying to protect him, Lee sprinted across the clearing to the shaman's mutilated body. He quickly scanned the area around him and found what he was looking for. He kneeled down and grabbed a fistful of earth then yelled at the mingehe drawing its attention away from Maki.

 **"Here you bastard! I'm the one you want, you will not hurt anyone else but me! If you want me, come and get me!"** Lee screamed at the mingehe.

"No Lee, stand down!" Harri yelled at his son.

Lee spared Harri a quick look and shot him a sad grin. "There's no other option sir. I won't let anyone die on my account."

 **"Dunkunza stop! You don't need to do this, we will find another way,"** Bakumu hollered.

 **"Please take care of my family, Bakumu. Get them home and let them know** **I** **will see them all on the other side,"** Lee called back and then ran head long towards the charging mingehe.

Lee rammed into the startled mingehe wrapping his arms desperately around its body as they tumbled across the clearing. The mingehe roared and hissed in anger and was the first to regain its feet. It quickly pinned Lee to the ground then raised up and howled at the moon. It looked back down at its helpless prey and seemingly smiled then sank its fangs into Lee's left shoulder eliciting a scream of pain.

As the mingehe pulled back savoring the sweet blood of its victim and preparing for the final bite it suddenly froze becoming totally immobile. Lee using the last of his strength pushed at the beast and was startled when it just toppled over. He scooted backwards as best he could away from the mingehe and was quickly grabbed by Harri and Bakumu and pulled across the clearing.

They all watched in amazement as a blinding shaft of light shot from the mingehe's chest dispelling the night. A second beam erupted from its face and another from its navel. An angry and frustrated scream erupted from the mingehe and then it was completely consumed by the light shattering into a million pieces erupting like a supernova. As the sparks from the explosion died out the clearing was cast into total darkness and silence.

After a moment of absolute quiet it was as if the jungle sighed in relief and the insects and other night animals resumed their chirping and calls as if nothing had happened. As the smoke cleared, the stars and the moon returned and the men were able once again to see around them and found no trace of the mingehe.

Harri dropped to a knee and carefully laid a finger on Lee's neck feeling for a pulse from the still young man lying at his feet. After a moment of frantic searching he found one and let loose a relieved sigh. "He's alive."

(oo)

Lee moaned softly as consciousness and pain reasserted themselves. He'd been out for nearly 7 hours and the sun was well above the horizon. As he cracked his eyes he was greeted by the relieved smiles of Harri and Jamie. He returned their smiles with one of his own then winced in pain as the new injury announced itself loudly.

"How are you feeling son?" Harri asked, happy to see those golden eyes awake and alert once more.

"Uh fine I think," Lee replied as he took a quick inventory of his body and tried to push up to a seated position. "What happened? Where are we?"

He was quickly thwarted as Jamie stepped in and gently forced him back down on the makeshift bed. "Stay right where you are Captain until I can check you out." Jamie said as he began his assessment measuring Lee's pulse, respiration, pupil reactivity and so on. Once completed he reached to his hip pulled out a water bottle and offered it to him.

Lee gladly accepted the bottle and sucked down several gulps of water. "Thanks, Jamie. Where's Chip?! Is he alright? What about Balu?" he asked frantically as he fought to sit up.

"Chip's fine. I've cleaned out the scratches and the bites and after a few days of downtime he should be back in the saddle, as will Balu," Jamie answered. Lee sighed in relief knowing his brother and new friend, in fact all of them, were now safe.

Chip limped over to join the group now that Lee had regained consciousness. "Nice of you to join us," Chip teased. Lee scowled slightly then smiled.

"Lee do you remember what happened?" Harri asked once it was clear his captain was in no danger.

"I think so sir," Lee answered. "Is the mingehe destroyed or was that just another one of my dreams?"

"The mingehe is gone. For some reason it became consumed by light and essentially exploded into nothingness after it attacked you," Kevin explained. "Do you have any idea why?"

Lee nodded slowly. "I have a pretty good idea. When Dharbaka was knocked over by Balu he dropped the collar which eliminated his protection from the mingehe. It dawned on me what had happened when it bypassed me to attack him. It was furious with the shaman for capturing it and making it do his bidding, so it seized the first opportunity it had to even the score. As it started stalking Maki I thought I spied where Dharbaka had dropped the collar and ran over there to check it out. I wasn't going to let it harm anyone else in my stead so I took a chance that attacking the holder of the collar would have some dire consequences. I charged it and it attacked me before it realized I had the collar, no doubt violating some law or rule and paid for that with its life."

"I guess that makes as much sense as anything," Harri replied.

"What made you think to bring an air horn, sir?" Lee asked as he recalled the extra time Harri's diversion had given him.

"Based on what you and Jamie had said about the attacks on Seaview, loud noises seemed to be the only thing that deterred the mingehe. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a little something on hand to test out those observations," Harri replied with a chuckle.

"I think your sonic diversion also distracted the mingehe enough that it didn't have to time to realize what I had picked up when it attacked me," Lee added.

"Definitely did the trick on us as well as the mingehe," Jamieson replied. "At least it gave you enough time to get the spear and rescue Chip."

"That it did," responded Lee. "Thanks for the assist Chip, you saved my life."

"No problem. I just didn't want to have to complete all that paperwork taking over your desk," Chip replied with a wink.

"Always thinking of yourself, Morton," Lee kidded back.

Finally getting the okay from Jamie, Lee sat up. He quickly scanned the clearing and spotted Bakumu and the other Baka filling in the grave they had dug for Dharbaka's body. Making eye contact, Bakumu nodded and walked over to join Lee and his friends.

" **It is good to see you back among the living Dunkuza,"** Bakumu said with a smile. " **We had serious doubts you would survive when you attacked the mingehe. My guess is you are too ornery and brave to die."**

" **I'm sure my friends would attribute my survival to stupidity and dumb luck,"** Lee replied and laughed. **"I see you have buried Dharbaka instead of leaving him to the jungle. It was a sad ending to a sad life."**

 **"That is true. Although he caused such hardship he was driven to it by evil men and didn't really deserve to be left drifting forever. Hopefully all debts are now paid and his soul will be at peace."** Bakumu answered.

Lee nodded in agreement then quickly translated what had been said for his friends and they agreed.

"He should have dug that grave when all this started," said Chip as he looked over at the earthen mound. "It may have taken over 13 years but he still paid the price." They all nodded in agreement.

"As did Amherst," added Kevin quietly. Bakumu looked to Lee for a translation given the reactions from the NIMR men.

 **"Chip is referring to a quote from a great Chinese philosopher name Confucius who lived over 2,500 years ago. He said that before you embark on a journey of revenge dig two graves. Chip said that Dharbaka should have dug the second grave when he released the mingehe to exact his revenge,"** Lee explained.

Bakumu nodded in agreement fully understanding that revenge more times than not takes the life of the man demanding satisfaction along with his victim. There was always a price to be paid.

"What now?" Lee asked looking over at Harri.

"If you, Chip and Balu are up to it, I suggest we make a start back to the village. Will isn't all that thrilled with the three of you here in the jungle with open wounds so far from anything but emergency medicine," Harri answered.

Lee smiled and extended his hand to Harri who carefully pulled him to his feet. He stood there a moment getting a feel for how his body was working. The new wound was sore but the pain from the older wounds had disappeared along with the tiredness and weakness that had plagued him since the first attack. He actually did feel fine. Since they wouldn't need to travel as fast as their journey to find Dharbaka and there was no need for silent passage he thought himself well up to the trek.

"I'm game if you are Chip," Lee replied. "Balu could run it in his sleep, so there's no point asking him."

"I'm ready to get back home and into a nice cool shower and an ice cold beer," Chip responded with a chuckle.

Lee smiled and gently patted Chip on the shoulder nodding in full agreement " **Bakumu we are ready to go whenever you are. I think it's time we all went home and leave old debts and sorrows buried here**."

The End.

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To all who have read my story and especially those who have commented, thank you very much for your time and attention. I truly enjoyed your feedback and all your kind words. I was thrilled beyond belief at how much you 'liked' my nasty little ape and how many came along for the ride. Much like my mingehe I also enjoy a wee bit of torture and appreciate you allowing me to string you along as I doled out the chapters. You all made this extremely fun for me.

Obrigado, Danke, Merci, Grazie, Thanks


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